University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

RING      W.     LARDNER 


YOU  KNOW  ME 
AL 

A  Busker's  Letters 


BY 

RING  W.  LARDNER 


NEW  YORK 
GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


Copyright,  1916, 
BY  GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 
COPYRIGHT,  1914,  BY  THE  CURTIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

I    A  BUSHER'S  LETTERS  HOME 9 

,  II    THE  BUSHER  COMES  BACK 45 

III  THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON 83 

IV  A  NEW  BUSHER  BREAKS  IN 122 

V    THE  BUSHER'S  KID 166 

VI  THE  BUSHER  BEATS  IT  HENCE                                  .  208 


YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 


YOU   KNOW  ME 
AL 


CHAPTER  I 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME 


Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  September  6. 

FRIEND  AL:  Well,  Al  old  pal  I  suppose  you 
seen  in  the  paper  where  I  been  sold  to  the 
White  Sox.  Believe  me  Al  it  comes  as  a  sur- 
prise to  me  and  I  bet  it  did  to  all  you  good  old 
pals  down  home.  You  could  of  knocked  me  over 
with  a  feather  when  the  old  man  come  up  to  me 
and  says  Jack  I've  sold  you  to  the  Chicago  Ameri- 
cans. 

I  didn't  have  no  idea  that  anything  like  that 
was  coming  off.  For  five  minutes  I  was  just  dum 
and  couldn't  say  a  word. 

He  says  We  aren't  getting  what  you  are  worth 
but  I  want  you  to  go  up  to  that  big  league  and 
show  those  birds  that  there  is  a  Central  League 


10  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

on  the  map.  He  says  Go  and  pitch  the  ball  you 
been  pitching  down  here  and  there  won't  be  noth- 
ing to  it.  He  says  All  you  need  is  the  nerve  and 
Walsh  or  no  one  else  won't  have  nothing  on  you. 

So  I  says  I  would  do  the  best  I  could  and  I 
thanked  him  for  the  treatment  I  got  in  Terre 
Haute.  They  always  was  good  to  me  here  and 
though  I  did  more  than  my  share  I  always  felt 
that  my  work  was  appresiated.  We  are  finishing 
second  and  I  done  most  of  it.  I  can't  help  but 
be  proud  of  my  first  year's  record  in  professional 
baseball  and  you  know  I  am  not  boasting  when  I 
say  that  Al. 

Well  Al  it  will  seem  funny  to  be  up  there  in 
the  big  show  when  I  never  was  really  in  a  big 
city  before.  But  I  guess  I  seen  enough  of  life  not 
to  be  scared  of  the  high  buildings  eh  Al? 

I  will  just  give  them  what  I  got  and  if  they 
don't  like  it  they  can  send  me  back  to  the  old 
Central  and  I  will  be  perfectly  satisfied. 

I  didn't  know  anybody  was  looking  me  over, 
but  one  of  the  boys  told  me  that  Jack  Doyle  the 
White  Sox  scout  was  down  here  looking  at  me 
when  Grand  Rapids  was  here.  I  beat  them  twice 
in  that  serious.  You  know  Grand  Rapids  never 
had  a  chance  with  me  when  I  was  right.  I  shut 
them  out  in  the  first  game  and  they  got  one  run 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME       11 

in  the  second  on  account  of  Flynn  misjuging  that 
fly  ball.  Anyway  Doyle  liked  my  work  and  he 
wired  Comiskey  to  buy  me.  Comiskey  come  back 
with  an  offer  and  they  excepted  it.  I  don't  know 
how  much  they  got  but  anyway  I  am  sold  to  the 
big  league  and  believe  me  Al  I  will  make  good. 

Well  Al  I  will  be  home  in  a  few  days  and  we 
will  have  some  of  the  good  old  times.  Regards 
to  all  the  boys  and  tell  them  I  am  still  their  pal 
and  not  all  swelled  up  over  this  big  league  busi- 
ness. Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  December  14. 

OLD  PAL:  Well  Al  I  have  not  got  much  to 
tell  you.  As  you  know  Comiskey  wrote  me  that 
if  I  was  up  in  Chi  this  month  to  drop  in  and  see 
him.  So  I  got  here  Thursday  morning  and  went 
to  his  office  in  the  afternoon.  His  office  is  out 
to  the  ball  park  and  believe  me  its  some  park  and 
some  office. 

I  went  in  and  asked  for  Comiskey  and  a  young 
fellow  says  He  is  not  here  now  but  can  I  do  any- 
thing for  you?  I  told  him  who  I  am  and  says  I 
had  an  engagement  to  see  Comiskey.  He  says 
The  boss  is  out  of  town  hunting  and  did  I  have 
to  see  him  personally? 

I  says  I  wanted  to  see  about  signing  a  contract. 


12  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

He  told  me  I  could  sign  as  well  with  him  as 
Comiskey  and  he  took  me  into  another  office.  He 
says  What  salary  did  you  think  you  ought  to  get4? 
and  I  says  I  wouldn't  think  of  playing  ball  in  the 
big  league  for  less  than  three  thousand  dollars 
per  annum.  He  laughed  and  says  You  don't 
want  much.  You  better  stick  round  town  till 
the  boss  comes  back.  So  here  I  am  and  it  is  cost- 
ing me  a  dollar  a  day  to  stay  at  the  hotel  on  Cot- 
tage Grove  Avenue  and  that  don't  include  my 
meals. 

I  generally  eat  at  some  of  the  cafes  round  the 
hotel  but  I  had  supper  downtown  last  night  and 
it  cost  me  fifty-five  cents.  If  Comiskey  don't 
come  back  soon  I  won't  have  no  more  money  left. 

Speaking  of  money  I  won't  sign  no  contract 
unless  I  get  the  salary  you  and  I  talked  of,  three 
thousand  dollars.  You  know  what  I  was  getting 
in  Terre  Haute,  a  hundred  and  fifty  a  month,  and 
I  know  it's  going  to  cost  me  a  lot  more  to  live  here. 
I  made  inquiries  round  here  and  find  I  can  get 
board  and  room  for  eight  dollars  a  week  but  I 
will  be  out  of  town  half  the  time  and  will  have 
to  pay  for  my  room  when  I  am  away  or  look  up 
a  new  one  when  I  come  back.  Then  I  will  have 
to  buy  cloths  to  wear  on  the  road  in  places  like 
New  York.  When  Comiskey  comes  back  I  will 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME       13 

name  him  three  thousand  dollars  as  my  lowest 
figure  and  I  guess  he  will  come  through  when  he 
sees  I  am  in  ernest.  I  heard  that  Walsh  was  get- 
ting twice  as  much  as  that. 

The  papers  says  Comiskey  will  be  back  here 
sometime  to-morrow.  He  has  been  hunting  with 
the  president  of  the  league  so  he  ought  to  feel 
pretty  good.  But  I  don't  care  how  he  feels.  I 
am  going  to  get  a  contract  for  three  thousand  and 
if  he  don't  want  to  give  it  to  me  he  can  do  the 
other  thing.  You  know  me  Al. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  December  16. 
DEAR  FRIEND  AL:  Well  I  will  be  home  in 
a  couple  of  days  now  but  I  wanted  to  write  you 
and  let  you  know  how  I  come  out  with  Comiskey. 
I  signed  my  contract  yesterday  afternoon.  He  is 
a  great  old  fellow  Al  and  no  wonder  everybody 
likes  him.  He  says  Young  man  will  you  have  a 
drink?  But  I  was  to  smart  and  wouldn't  take 
nothing.  He  says  You  was  with  Terre  Haute? 
I  says  Yes  I  was.  He  says  Doyle  tells  me  you 
were  pretty  wild.  I  says  Oh  no  I  got  good  con- 
trol. He  says  Well  do  you  want  to  sign?  I  says 
Yes  if  I  get  my  figure.  He  asks  What  is  my 
figure  and  I  says  three  thousand  dollars  per  an- 


14  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

num.  He  says  Don't  you  want  the  office  furni- 
ture too?  Then  he  says  I  thought  you  was  a 
young  ball-player  and  I  didn't  know  you  wanted 
to  buy  my  park. 

We  kidded  each  other  back  and  forth  like  that 
a  while  and  then  he  says  You  better  go  out  and 
get  the  air  and  come  back  when  you  feel  better. 
I  says  I  feel  O.  K.  now  and  I  want  to  sign  a  con- 
tract because  I  have  got  to  get  back  to  Bedford. 
Then  he  calls  the  secretary  and  tells  him  to  make 
out  my  contract.  He  give  it  to  me  and  it  calls 
for  two  hundred  and  fifty  a  month.  He  says 
You  know  we  always  have  a  city  serious  here  in 
the  fall  where  a  fellow  picks  up  a  good  bunch  of 
money.  I  hadn't  thought  of  that  so  I  signed  up. 
My  yearly  salary  will  be  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
besides  what  the  city  serious  brings  me.  And.  that 
is  only  for  the  first  year.  I  will  demand  three 
thousand  or  four  thousand  dollars  next  year. 

I  would  of  started  home  on  the  evening  train 
but  I  ordered  a  suit  of  cloths  from  a  tailor  over 
on  Cottage  Grove  and  it  won't  be  done  till  to- 
morrow. It's  going  to  cost  me  twenty  bucks  but 
it  ought  to  last  a  long  time.  Regards  to  Frank 
and  the  bunch.  Your  Pal,  JACK. 


A  BUSHER'S  LETTERS  HOME       15 

Paso  Robles,  California,  March  2. 

OLD  PAL  AL:  Well  Al  we  been  in  this  little 
berg  now  a  couple  of  days  and  its  bright  and 
warm  all  the  time  just  like  June.  Seems  funny 
to  have  it  so  warm  this  early  in  March  but  I  guess 
this  California  climate  is  all  they  said  about  it 
and  then  some. 

It  would  take  me  a  week  to  tell  you  about  our 
trip  out  here.  We  came  on  a  Special  Train  De 
Lukes  and  it  was  some  train.  Every  place  we 
stopped  there  was  crowds  down  to  the  station  to 
see  us  go  through  and  all  the  people  looked  me 
over  like  I  was  a  actor  or  something.  I  guess 
my  hight  and  shoulders  attracted  their  attention. 
Well  Al  we  finally  got  to  Oakland  which  is  across 
part  of  the  ocean  from  Frisco.  We  will  be  back 
there  later  on  for  practice  games. 

We  stayed  in  Oakland  a  few  hours  and  then 
took  a  train  for  here.  It  was  another  night  in  a 
sleeper  and  believe  me  I  was  tired  of  sleepers  be- 
fore we  got  here.  I  have  road  one  night  at  a 
time  but  this  was  four  straight  nights.  You  know 
Al  I  am  not  built  right  for  a  sleeping  car  birth. 

The  hotel  here  is  a  great  big  place  and  got  good 
eats.  We  got  in  at  breakfast  time  and  I  made  a 
B  line  for  the  dining  room.  Kid  Gleason  who  is 
a  kind  of  asst.  manager  to  Callahan  come  in  and 


16  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

sat  down  with  me.  He  says  Leave  something  for 
the  rest  of  the  boys  because  they  will  be  just  as 
hungry  as  you.  He  says  Ain't  you  afraid  you 
will  cut  your  throat  with  that  knife.  He  says 
There  ain't  no  extra  charge  for  using  the  forks. 
He  says  You  shouldn't  ought  to  eat  so  much  be- 
cause you're  overweight  now.  I  says  You  may 
think  I  am  fat,  but  it's  all  solid  bone  and  muscle. 
He  says  Yes  I  suppose  it's  all  solid  bone  from 
the  neck  up.  I  guess  he  thought  I  would  get  sore 
but  I  will  let  them  kid  me  now  because  they  will 
take  off  their  hats  to  me  when  they  see  me  work. 

Manager  Callahan  called  us  all  to  his  room 
after  breakfast  and  give  us  a  lecture.  He  says 
there  would  be  no  work  for  us  the  first  day  but 
that  we  must  all  take  a  long  walk  over  the  hills. 
He  also  says  we  must  not  take  the  training  trip 
as  a  joke.  Then  the  colored  trainer  give  us  our 
suits  and  I  went  to  my  room  and  tried  mine  on. 
I  ain't  a  bad  looking  guy  in  the  White  Sox  uni- 
form Al.  I  will  have  my  picture  taken  arid  send 
you  boys  some. 

My  roommate  is  Allen  a  lefthander  from  the 
Coast  League.  He  don't  look  nothing  like  a 
pitcher  but  you  can't  never  tell  about  them  dam 
left  handers.  Well  I  didn't  go  on  the  long  walk 
because  I  was  tired  out.  Walsh  stayed  at  the 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME       17 

hotel  too  and  when  he  seen  me  he  says  Why  didn't 
you  go  with  the  bunch?  I  says  I  was  too  tired. 
He  says  Well  when  Callahan  comes  back  you  bet- 
ter keep  out  of  sight  or  tell  him  you  are  sick.  I 
says  I  don't  care  nothing  for  Callahan.  He  says 
No  but  Callahan  is  crazy  about  you.  He  says 
You  better  obey  orders  and  you  will  git  along 
better.  I  guess  Walsh  thinks  I  am  some  rube. 

When  the  bunch  come  back  Callahan  never 
said  a  word  to  me  but  Gleason  come  up  and  says 
Where  was  you?  I  told  him  I  was  too  tired  to 
go  walking.  He  says  Well  I  will  borrow  a  wheel- 
barrow some  place  and  push  you  round.  He  says 
Do  you  sit  down  when  you  pitch?  I  let  him  kid 
me  because  he  has  not  saw  my  stuff  yet. 

Next  morning  half  the  bunch  mostly  vetrans 
went  to  the  ball  park  which  isn't  no  better  than 
the  one  we  got  at  home.  Most  of  them  was  vetrans 
as  I  say  but  I  was  in  the  bunch.  That  makes 
things  look  pretty  good  for  me  don't  it  Al?  We 
tossed  the  ball  round  and  hit  fungos  and  run 
round  and  then  Callahan  asks  Scott  and  Russell 
and  I  to  warm  up  easy  and  pitch  a  few  to  the 
batters.  It  was  warm  and  I  felt  pretty  good  so 
I  warmed  up  pretty  good.  Scott  pitched  to  them 
first  and  kept  laying  them  right  over  with  noth- 


i8  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

ing  on  them.  I  don't  believe  a  man  gets  any  bat- 
ting practice  that  way.  So  I  went  in  and  after 
I  lobbed  a  few  over  I  cut  loose  my  fast  one.  Lord 
was  to  bat  and  he  ducked  out  of  the  way  and 
then  throwed  his  bat  to  the  bench.  Callahan  says 
What's  the  matter  Harry?  Lord  says  I  forgot 
to  pay  up  my  life  insurance.  He  says  I  ain't 
ready  for  Walter  Johnson's  July  stuff. 

Well  Al  I  will  make  them  think  I  am  Walter 
Johnson  before  I  get  through  with  them.  But 
Callahan  come  out  to  me  and  says  What  are  you 
trying  to  do  kill  somebody*?  He  says  Save  your 
smoke  because  you're  going  to  need  it  later  on. 
He  says  Go  easy  with  the  boys  at  first  or  I  won't 
have  no  batters.  But  he  was  laughing  and  I 
guess  he  was  pleased  to  see  the  stuff  I  had. 

There  is  a  dance  in  the  hotel  to-night  and  I 
am  up  in  my  room  writing  this  in  my  underwear 
while  I  get  my  suit  pressed.  I  got  it  all  mussed 
up  coming  out  here.  I  don't  know  what  shoes 
to  wear.  I  asked  Gleason  and  he  says  Wear  your 
baseball  shoes  and  if  any  of  the  girls  gets  fresh 
with  you  spike  them.  I  guess  he  was  kidding  me. 

Write  and  tell  me  all  the  news  about  home. 
Yours  truly,  JACK. 


A  RUSHER'S  LETTERS  HOME      19 

Paso  Robles,  California,  March  7. 

FRIEND  AL:  I  showed  them  something  out 
there  to-day  Al.  We  had  a  game  between  two 
teams.  One  team  was  made  up  of  most  of  the 
regulars  and  the  other  was  made  up  of  recruts. 
I  pitched  three  innings  for  the  recruts  and  shut 
the  old  birds  out.  I  held  them  to  one  hit  and 
that  was  a  ground  ball  that  the  recrut  shortstop 
Johnson  ought  to  of  ate  up.  I  struck  Collins  out 
and  he  is  one  of  the  best  batters  in  the  bunch. 
I  used  my  fast  ball  most  of  the  while  but  showed 
them  a  few  spitters  and  they  missed  them  a  foot. 
I  guess  I  must  of  got  Walsh's  goat  with  my  spit- 
ter  because  him  and  I  walked  back  to  the  hotel 
together  and  he  talked  like  he  was  kind  of  jealous. 
He  says  You  will  have  to  learn  to  cover  up  your 
spitter.  He  says  I  could  stand  a  mile  away  and 
tell  when  you  was  going  to  throw  it.  He  says 
Some  of  these  days  I  will  learn  you  how  to  cover 
it  up.  I  guess  Al  I  know  how  to  cover  it  up  all 
right  without  Walsh  learning  me. 

I  always  sit  at  the  same  table  in  the  dining  room 
along  with  Gleason  and  Collins  and  Bodie  and 
Fournier  and  Allen  the  young  lefthander  I  told 
you  about.  I  feel  sorry  for  him  because  he  never 
says  a  word.  To-night  at  supper  Bodie  says  How 
did  I  look  to-day  Kid?  Gleason  says  Just  like 


20  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

you  always  do  in  the  spring.  You  looked  like  a 
cow.  Gleason  seems  to  have  the  whole  bunch 
scared  of  him  and  they  let  him  say  anything  he 
wants  to.  I  let  him  kid  me  to  but  I  ain't  scared 
of  him.  Collins  then  says  to  me  You  got  some 
fast  ball  there  boy.  I  says  I  was  not  as  fast  to- 
day as  I  am  when  I  am  right.  He  says  Well  then 
I  don't  want  to  hit  against  you  when  you  are 
right.  Then  Gleason  says  to  Collins  Cut  that 
stuff  out.  Then  he  says  to  me  Don't  believe  what 
he  tells  you  boy.  If  the  pitchers  in  this  league 
weren't  no  faster  than  you  I  would  still  be  play- 
ing ball  and  I  would  be  the  best  hitter  in  the 
country. 

After  supper  Gleason  went  out  on  the  porch 
with  me.  He  says  Boy  you  have  got  a  little  stuff 
but  you  have  got  a  lot  to  learn.  He  says  You 
field  your  position  like  a  wash  woman  and  you 
don't  hold  the  runners  up.  He  says  When  Chase 
was  on  second  base  to-day  he  got  such  a  lead  on 
you  that  the  little  catcher  couldn't  of  shot  him 
out  at  third  with  a  rifle.  I  says  They  all  thought 
I  fielded  my  position  all  right  in  the  Central 
League.  He  says  Well  if  you  think  you  do  it  all 
right  you  better  go  back  to  the  Central  League 
where  you  are  appresiated.  I  says  You  can't  send 
me  back  there  because  you  could  not  get  waivers. 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      21 

He  says  Who  would  claim  you^    I  says  St.  Louis 
and  Boston  and  New  York. 

You  know  Al  what  Smith  told  me  this  winter. 
Gleason  says  Well  if  you're  not  willing  to  learn 
St.  Louis  and  Boston  and  New  York  can  have  you 
and  the  first  time  you  pitch  against  us  we  will 
steal  fifty  bases.  Then  he  quit  kidding  and  asked 
me  to  go  to  the  field  with  him  early  to-morrow 
morning  and  he  would  learn  me  some  things.  I 
don't  think  he  can  learn  me  nothing  but  I  prom- 
ised I  would  go  with  him. 

There  is  a  little  blonde  kid  in  the  hotel  here 
who  took  a  shine  to  me  at  the  dance  the  other  night 
but  I  am  going  to  leave  the  skirts  alone.  She  is 
real  society  and  a  swell  dresser  and  she  wants 
my  picture.  Regards  to  all  the  boys. 

Your  friend,  JACK. 

P.  S.  The  boys  thought  they  would  be  smart 
to-night  and  put  something  over  on  me.  A  boy 
brought  me  a  telegram  and  I  opened  it  and  it  said 
You  are  sold  to  Jackson  in  the  Cotton  States 
League.  For  just  a  minute  they  had  me  going 
but  then  I  happened  to  think  that  Jackson  is  in 
Michigan  and  there's  no  Cotton  States  League 
round  there, 


22  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Paso  Robles,  California,  March  g. 

DEAR  FRIEND  AL:  You  have  no  doubt 
read  the  good  news  in  the  papers  before  this 
reaches  you.  I  have  been  picked  to  go  to  Frisco 
with  the  first  team.  We  play  practice  games  up 
there  about  two  weeks  while  the  second  club  plays 
in  Los  Angeles.  Poor  Allen  had  to  go  with  the 
second  club.  There's  two  other  recrut  pitchers 
with  our  part  of  the  team  but  my  name  was  first 
on  the  list  so  it  looks  like  I  had  made  good.  I 
knowed  they  would  like  my  stuff  when  they  seen 
it.  We  leave  here  to-night.  You  got  the  first 
team's  address  so  you  will  know  where  to  send 
my  mail.  Callahan  goes  with  us  and  Gleason 
goes  with  the  second  club.  Him  and  I  have  got 
to  be  pretty  good  pals  and  I  wish  he  was  going 
with  us  even  if  he  don't  let  me  eat  like  I  want  to. 
He  told  me  this  morning  to  remember  all  he  had 
learned  me  and  to  keep  working  hard.  He  didn't 
learn  me  nothing  I  didn't  know  before  but  I  let 
him  think  so. 

The  little  blonde  don't  like  to  see  me  leave 
here.  She  lives  in  Detroit  and  I  may  see  her  when 
I  go  there.  She  wants  me  to  write  but  I  guess  I 
better  not  give  her  no  encouragement. 

Well  Al  I  will  write  you  a  long  letter  from 
Frisco,  Yours  truly,  JACK. 


A  RUSHER'S  LETTERS  HOME      23 

Oakland,  California,  March  19. 

DEAR  OLD  PAL:  They  have  gave  me  plenty 
of  work  here  all  right.  I  have  pitched  four  times 
but  have  not  went  over  five  innings  yet.  I  worked 
against  Oakland  two  times  and  against  Frisco 
two  times  and  only  three  runs  have  been  scored 
off  me.  They  should  only  ought  to  of  had  one 
but  Rodie  misjuged  a  easy  fly  ball  in  Frisco  and 
Weaver  made  a  wild  peg  in  Oakland  that  let 
in  a  run.  I  am  not  using  much  but  my  fast  ball 
but  I  have  got  a  world  of  speed  and  they  can't 
foul  me  when  I  am  right.  I  whiffed  eight  men 
in  five  innings  in  Frisco  yesterday  and  could  of 
did  better  than  that  if  I  had  of  cut  loose. 

Manager  Callahan  is  a  funny  guy  and  I  don't 
understand  him  sometimes.  I  can't  figure  out  if 
he  is  kidding  or  in  ernest.  We  road  back  to  Oak- 
land on  the  ferry  together  after  yesterday's  game 
and  he  says  Don't  you  never  throw  a  slow  ball*? 
I  says  I  don't  need  no  slow  ball  with  my  spitter 
and  my  fast  one.  He  says  No  of  course  you  don't 
need  it  but  if  I  was  you  I  would  get  one  of  the 
boys  to  learn  it  to  me.  He  says  And  you  better 
watch  the  way  the  boys  fields  their  positions  and 
holds  up  the  runners.  He  says  To  see  you  work 
a  man  might  think  they  had  a  rule  in  the  Central 


24  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

League  forbidding  a  pitcher  from  leaving  the  box 
or  looking  toward  first  base. 

I  told  him  the  Central  didn't  have  no  rule  like 
that.  He  says  And  I  noticed  you  taking  your 
wind  up  when  What's  His  Name  was  on  second 
base  there  to-day.  I  says  Yes  I  got  more  stuff 
when  I  wind  up.  He  says  Of  course  you  have  but 
if  you  wind  up  like  that  with  Cobb  on  base  he 
will  steal  your  watch  and  chain.  I  says  Maybe 
Cobb  can't  get  on  base  when  I  work  against  him. 
He  says  That's  right  and  maybe  San  Francisco 
Bay  is  made  of  grape  juice.  Then  he  walks  away 
from  me. 

He  give  one  of  the  youngsters  a  awful  bawling 
out  for  something  he  done  in  the  game  at  supper 
last  night.  If  he  ever  talks  to  me  like  he  done 
to  him  I  will  take  a  punch  at  him.  You  know 
me  AL 

I  come  over  to  Frisco  last  night  with  some  of 
the  boys  and  we  took  in  the  sights.  Frisco  is 
some  live  town  AL  We  went  all  through  China 
Town  and  the  Barbers'  Coast.  Seen  lots  of  swell 
dames  but  they  was  all  painted  up.  They  have 
beer  out  here  that  they  call  steam  beer.  I  had 
a  few  glasses  of  it  and  it  made  me  logey.  A  glass 
of  that  Terre  Haute  beer  would  go  pretty  good 
right  now. 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      25 

We  leave  here  for  Los  Angeles  in  a  few  days 
and  I  will  write  you  from  there.  This  is  some 
country  Al  and  I  would  love  to  play  ball  round 
here.  Your  Pal,  JACK. 

P.  S. — I  got  a  letter  from  the  little  blonde  and 
I  suppose  I  got  to  answer  it. 

Los  Angeles,  California,  March  26. 

FRIEND  AL:  Only  four  more  days  of  sunny 
California  and  then  we  start  back  East.  We  got 
exhibition  games  in  Yuma  and  El  Paso,  Texas, 
and  Oklahoma  City  and  then  we  stop  over  in  St. 
Joe,  Missouri,  for  three  days  before  we  go  home. 
You  know  Al  we  open  the  season  in  Cleveland 
and  we  won't  be  in  Chi  no  more  than  just  passing 
through.  We  don't  play  there  till  April  eight- 
eenth and  I  guess  I  will  work  in  that  serious  all 
right  against  Detroit.  Then  I  will  be  glad  to 
have  you  and  the  boys  come  up  and  watch  me 
as  you  suggested  in  your  last  letter. 

I  got  another  letter  from  the  little  blonde.  She 
has  went  back  to  Detroit  but  she  give  me  her  ad- 
dress and  telephone  number  and  believe  me  Al 
I  am  going  to  look  her  up  when  we  get  there  the 
twenty-ninth  of  April. 

She  is  a  stenographer  and  was  out  here  with 
her  uncle  and  aunt. 


26  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

I  had  a  run  in  with  Kelly  last  night  and  it 
looked  like  I  would  have  to  take  a  wallop  at  him 
but  the  other  boys  seperated  us.  He  is  a  bush 
outfielder  from  the  New  England  League.  We 
was  playing  poker.  You  know  the  boys  plays 
poker  a  good  deal  but  this  was  the  first  time  I 
got  in.  I  was  having  pretty  good  luck  and  was 
about  four  bucks  to  the  good  and  I  was  thinking 
of  quitting  because  I  was  tired  and  sleepy.  Then 
Kelly  opened  the  pot  for  fifty  cents  and  I  stayed. 
I  had  three  sevens.  No  one  else  stayed.  Kelly 
stood  pat  and  I  drawed  two  cards.  And  I  catched 
my  fourth  seven.  He  bet  fifty  cents  but  I  felt 
pretty  safe  even  if  he  did  have  a  pat  hand.  So 
I  called  him.  I  took  the  money  and  told  them 
I  was  through. 

Lord  and  some  of  the  boys  laughed  but  Kelly 
got  nasty  and  begun  to  pan  me  for  quitting  and 
for  the  way  I  played.  I  says  Well  I  won  the 
pot  didn't  I*?  He  says  Yes  and  he  called  me 
something.  I  says  I  got  a  notion  to  take  a  punch 
at  you. 

He  says  Oh  you  have  have  you*?  And  I  come 
back  at  him.  I  says  Yes  I  have  have  I  *?  I  would 
of  busted  his  jaw  if  they  hadn't  stopped  me.  You 
know  me  Al. 

I  worked  here  two  times  once  against  Los  An- 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      27 

geles  and  once  against  Venice.  I  went  the  full 
nine  innings  both  times  and  Venice  beat  me  four 
to  two.  I  could  of  beat  them  easy  with  any  kind 
of  support.  I  walked  a  couple  of  guys  in  the 
forth  and  Chase  drops  a  throw  and  Collins  lets 
a  fly  ball  get  away  from  him.  At  that  I  would 
of  shut  them  out  if  I  had  wanted  to  cut  loose. 
After  the  game  Callahan  says  You  didn't  look 
so  good  in  there  to-day.  I  says  I  didn't  cut  loose. 
He  says  Well  you  been  working  pretty  near  three 
weeks  now  and  you  ought  to  be  in  shape  to  cut 
loose.  I  says  Oh  I  am  in  shape  all  right.  He 
says  Well  don't  work  no  harder  than  you  have 
to  or  you  might  get  hurt  and  then  the  league 
would  blow  up.  I  don't  know  if  he  was  kidding 
me  or  not  but  I  guess  he  thinks  pretty  well  of 
me  because  he  works  me  lots  oftener  than  Walsh 
or  Scott  or  Benz. 

I  will  try  to  write  you  from  Yuma,  Texas,  but 
we  don't  stay  there  only  a  day  and  I  may  not 
have  time  for  a  long  letter. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Yuma,  Arizona,  April  i. 

DEAR  OLD  AL:  Just  a  line  to  let  you  know 
we  are  on  our  way  back  East.  This  place  is  in 
Arizona  and  it  sure  is  sandy.  They  haven't  got 


28  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

no  regular  ball  club  here  and  we  play  a  pick-up 
team  this  afternoon.  Callahan  told  me  I  would 
have  to  work.  He  says  I  am  using  you  because 
we  want  to  get  through  early  and  I  know  you  can 
beat  them  quick.  That  is  the  first  time  he  has 
said  anything  like  that  and  I  guess  he  is  wiseing 
up  that  I  got  the  goods. 

We  was  talking  about  the  Athaletics  this  morn- 
ing and  Callahan  says  None  of  you  fellows  pitch 
right  to  Baker.  I  was  talking  to  Lord  and  Scott 
afterward  and  I  say  to  Scott  How  do  you  pitch 
to  Baker"?  He  says  I  use  my  fadeaway.  I  says 
How  do  you  throw  it*?  He  says  Just  like  you 
throw  a  fast  ball  to  anybody  else.  I  says  Why 
do  you  call  it  a  fadeaway  then1?  He  says  Be- 
cause when  I  throw  it  to  Baker  it  fades  away  over 
the  fence. 

This  place  is  full  of  Indians  and  I  wish  you 
could  see  them  AL    They  don't  look  nothing  like 
the  Indians  we  seen  in  that  show  last  summer. 
Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

Oklahoma  City,  April  4. 

FRIEND  AL:  Coming  out  of  Amarillo  last 
night  I  and  Lord  and  Weaver  was  sitting  at  a 
table  in  the  dining  car  with  a  old  lady.  None 
of  us  were  talking  to  her  but  she  looked  me  over 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      29 

pretty  careful  and  seemed  to  kind  of  like  my 
looks.  Finally  she  says  Are  you  boys  with  some 
football  club?  Lord  nor  Weaver  didn't  say  noth- 
ing so  I  thought  it  was  up  to  me  and  I  says  No 
mam  this  is  the  Chicago  White  Sox  Ball  Club. 
She  says  I  knew  you  were  athaletes.  I  says  Yes 
I  guess  you  could  spot  us  for  athaletes.  She  says 
Yes  indeed  and  specially  you.  You  certainly  look 
healthy.  I  says  You  ought  to  see  me  stripped. 
I  didn't  see  nothing  funny  about  that  but  I 
thought  Lord  and  Weaver  would  die  laughing. 
Lord  had  to  get  up  and  leave  the  table  and  he 
told  everybody  what  I  said. 

All  the  boys  wanted  me  to  play  poker  on  the 
way  here  but  I  told  them  I  didn't  feel  good.  I 
know  enough  to  quit  when  I  am  ahead  Al.  Calla- 
han  and  I  sat  down  to  breakfast  all  alone  this 
morning.  He  says  Boy  why  don't  you  get  to 
work*?  I  says  What  do  you  mean?  Ain't  I 
working?  He  says  You  ain't  improving  none. 
You  have  got  the  stuff  to  make  a  good  pitcher 
but  you  don't  go  after  bunts  and  you  don't  cover 
first  base  and  you  don't  watch  the  baserunners. 
He  made  me  kind  of  sore  talking  that  way  and  I 
says  Oh  I  guess  I  can  get  along  all  right. 

He  says  Well  I  am  going  to  put  it  up  to  you. 
I  am  going  to  start  you  over  in  St.  Joe  day  after 


30  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

to-morrow  and  I  want  you  to  show  me  something. 
I  want  you  to  cut  loose  with  all  you've  got  and 
I  want  you  to  get  round  the  infield  a  little  and 
show  them  you  aren't  tied  in  that  box.  I  says  Oh 
I  can  field  my  position  if  I  want  to.  He  says 
Well  you  better  want  to  or  I  will  have  to  ship 
you  back  to  the  sticks.  Then  he  got  up  and  left. 
He  didn't  scare  me  none  Al.  They  won't  ship 
me  to  no  sticks  after  the  way  I  showed  on  this 
trip  and  even  if  they  did  they  couldn't  get  no 
waivers  on  me. 

Some  of  the  boys  have  begun  to  call  me  Four 
Sevens  but  it  don't  bother  me  none. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

St.  Joe,  Missouri,  April  7. 
FRIEND  AL:  It  rained  yesterday  so  I  worked 
to-day  instead  and  St.  Joe  done  well  to  get  three 
hits.  They  couldn't  of  scored  if  we  had  played 
all  week.  I  give  a  couple  of  passes  but  I  catched 
a  guy  flatfooted  off  of  first  base  and  I  come  up 
with  a  couple  of  bunts  and  throwed  guys  out. 
When  the  game  was  over  Callahan  says  That's 
the  way  I  like  to  see  you  work.  You  looked  bet- 
ter to-day  than  you  looked  on  the  whole  trip. 
Just  once  you  wound  up  with  a  man  on  but  other- 
wise you  was  all  O.  K.  So  I  guess  my  job  is 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      31 

cinched  Al  and  I  won't  have  to  go  to  New  York 
or  St.  Louis.  I  would  rather  be  in  Chi  anyway 
because  it  is  near  home.  I  wouldn't  care  though 
if  they  traded  me  to  Detroit.  I  hear  from  Violet 
right  along  and  she  says  she  can't  hardly  wait  till 
I  come  to  Detroit.  She  says  she  is  strong  for  the 
Tigers  but  she  will  pull  for  me  when  I  work 
against  them.  She  is  nuts  over  me  and  I  guess 
she  has  saw  lots  of  guys  to. 

I  sent  her  a  stickpin  from  Oklahoma  City  but 
I  can't  spend  no  more  dough  on  her  till  after  our 
first  payday  the  fifteenth  of  the  month.  I  had 
thirty  bucks  on  me  when  I  left  home  and  I  only 
got  about  ten  left  including  the  five  spot  I  won 
in  the  poker  game.  I  have  to  tip  the  waiters 
about  thirty  cents  a  day  and  I  seen  about  twenty 
picture  shows  on  the  coast  besides  getting  my 
cloths  pressed  a  couple  of  times. 

We  leave  here  to-morrow  night  and  arrive  in 
Chi  the  next  morning.  The  second  club  joins  us 
there  and  then  that  night  we  go  to  Cleveland  to 
open  up.  I  asked  one  of  the  reporters  if  he 
knowed  who  was  going  to  pitch  the  opening  game 
and  he  says  it  would  be  Scott  or  Walsh  but  I 
guess  he  don't  know  much  about  it. 

These  reporters  travel  all  round  the  country 
with  the  team  all  season  and  send  in  telegrams 


32  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

about  the  game  every  night.  I  ain't  seen  no  Chi 
papers  so  I  don't  know  what  they  been  saying 
about  me.  But  I  should  worry  eh  Al?  Some 
of  them  are  pretty  nice  fellows  and  some  of  them 
got  the  swell  head.  They  hang  round  with  the 
old  fellows  and  play  poker  most  of  the  time. 

Will  write  you  from  Cleveland.  You  will  see 
in  the  paper  if  I  pitch  the  opening  game. 

Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  April  10. 

OLD  FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  we  are  all  set 
to  open  the  season  this  afternoon.  I  have  just 
ate  breakfast  and  I  am  sitting  in  the  lobby  of  the 
hotel.  I  eat  at  a  little  lunch  counter  about  a  block 
from  here  and  I  saved  seventy  cents  on  breakfast. 
You  see  Al  they  give  us  a  dollar  a  meal  and  if 
we  don't  want  to  spend  that  much  all  right.  Our 
rooms  at  the  hotel  are  paid  for. 

The  Cleveland  papers  says  Walsh  or  Scott  will 
work  for  us  this  afternoon.  I  asked  Callahan  if 
there  was  any  chance  of  me  getting  into  the  first 
game  and  he  says  I  hope  not.  I  don't  know  what 
he  meant  but  he  may  surprise  these  reporters  and 
let  me  pitch.  I  will  beat  them  Al.  Lajoie  and 
Jackson  is  supposed  to  be  great  batters  but  the 
bigger  they  are  the  harder  they  fall. 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      33 

The  second  team  joined  us  yesterday  in  Chi 
and  we  practiced  a  little.  Poor  Allen  was  left 
in  Chi  last  night  with  four  others  of  the  recrut 
pitchers.  Looks  pretty  good  for  me  eh  Al*?  I 
only  seen  Gleason  for  a  few  minutes  on  the  train 
last  night.  He  says,  Well  you  ain't  took  off  much 
weight.  You're  hog  fat.  I  says  Oh  I  ain't  fat. 
I  didn't  need  to  take  off  no  weight.  He  says  One 
good  thing  about  it  the  club  don't  have  to  engage 
no  birth  for  you  because  you  spend  all  your  time 
in  the  dining  car.  We  kidded  along  like  that  a 
while  and  then  the  trainer  rubbed  my  arm  and  I 
went  to  bed.  Well  Al  I  just  got  time  to  have  my 
suit  pressed  before  noon. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  April  IT. 
FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  I  suppose  you  know 
by  this  time  that  I  did  not  pitch  and  that  we  got 
licked.  Scott  was  in  there  and  he  didn't  have 
nothing.  When  they  had  us  beat  four  to  one  in 
the  eight  inning  Callahan  told  me  to  go  out  and 
warm  up  and  he  put  a  batter  in  for  Scott  in  our 
ninth.  But  Cleveland  didn't  have  to  play  their 
ninth  so  I  got  no  chance  to  work.  But  it  looks 
like  he  means  to  start  me  in  one  of  the  games 
here.  We  got  three  more  to  play.  Maybe  I  will 


34  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

pitch  this  afternoon.  I  got  a  postcard  from  Vio- 
let. She  says  Beat  them  Naps.  I  will  give  them 
a  battle  Al  if  I  get  a  chance. 

Glad  to  hear  you  boys  have  fixed  it  up  to  come 
to  Chi  during  the  Detroit  serious.  I  will  ask  Calla- 
han  when  he  is  going  to  pitch  me  and  let  you 
know.  Thanks  Al  for  the  papers. 

Your  friend,  JACK. 

St.  Louis,  Missouri,  April  15. 
FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  I  guess  I  showed  them. 
I  only  worked  one  inning  but  I  guess  them  Browns 
is  glad  I  wasn't  in  there  no  longer  than  that.  They 
had  us  beat  seven  to  one  in  the  sixth  and  Callahan 
pulls  Benz  out.  I  honestly  felt  sorry  for  him  but 
he  didn't  have  nothing,  not  a  thing.  They  was 
hitting  him  so  hard  I  thought  they  would  score  a 
hundred  runs.  A  righthander  name  Bumgardner 
was  pitching  for  them  and  he  didn't  look  to  have 
nothing  either  but  we  ain't  got  much  of  a  batting 
team  Al.  I  could  hit  better  than  some  of  them 
regulars.  Anyway  Callahan  called  Benz  to  the 
bench  and  sent  for  me.  I  was  down  in  the  corner 
warming  up  with  Kuhn.  I  wasn't  warmed  up 
good  but  you  know  I  got  the  nerve  Al  and  I  run 
right  out  there  like  I  meant  business.  There  was 
a  man  on  second  and  nobody  out  when  I  come 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      35 

in.  I  didn't  know  who  was  up  there  but  I  found 
out  afterward  it  was  Shotten.  He's  the  center- 
fielder.  I  was  cold  and  I  walked  him.  Then  I 
got  warmed  up  good  and  I  made  Johnston  look 
like  a  boob.  I  give  him  three  fast  balls  and  he 
let  two  of  them  go  by  and  missed  the  other  one. 
I  would  of  handed  him  a  spitter  but  Schalk  kept 
signing  for  fast  ones  and  he  knows  more  about 
them  batters  than  me.  Anyway  I  whiffed  John- 
ston. Then  up  come  Williams  and  I  tried  to 
make  him  hit  at  a  couple  of  bad  ones.  I  was  in 
the  hole  with  two  balls  and  nothing  and  come 
right  across  the  heart  with  my  fast  one.  I  wish 
you  could  of  saw  the  hop  on  it.  Williams  hit  it 
right  straight  up  and  Lord  was  camped  under 
it.  Then  up  come  Pratt  the  best  hitter  on  their 
club.  You  know  what  I  done  to  him  don't  you 
Al?  I  give  him  one  spitter  and  another  he  didn't 
strike  at  that  was  a  ball.  Then  I  come  back  with 
two  fast  ones  and  Mister  Pratt  was  a  dead  baby. 
And  you  notice  they  didn't  steal  no  bases  neither. 
In  our  half  of  the  seventh  inning  Weaver  and 
Schalk  got  on  and  I  was  going  up  there  with  a 
stick  when  Callahan  calls  me  back  and  sends  East- 
erly up.  I  don't  know  what  kind  of  managing 
you  call  that.  I  hit  good  on  the  training  trip 
and  he  must  of  knew  they  had  no  chance  to  score 


36  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

off  me  in  the  innings  they  had  left  while  they  were 
liable  to  murder  his  other  pitchers.  I  come  back 
to  the  bench  pretty  hot  and  I  says  You're  making 
a  mistake.  He  says  If  Comiskey  had  wanted  you 
to  manage  this  team  he  would  of  hired  you. 

Then  Easterly  pops  out  and  I  says  Now  I 
guess  you're  sorry  you  didn't  let  me  hit.  That 
sent  him  right  up  in  the  air  and  he  bawled  me 
awful.  Honest  Al  I  would  of  cracked  him  right 
in  the  jaw  if  we  hadn't  been  right  out  where 
everybody  could  of  saw  us.  Well  he  sent  Cicotte 
in  to  finish  and  they  didn't  score  no  more  and 
we  didn't  neither. 

I  road  down  in  the  car  with  Gleason.  He  says 
Boy  you  shouldn't  ought  to  talk  like  that  to  Cal. 
Some  day  he  will  lose  his  temper  and  bust  you 
one.  I  says  He  won't  never  bust  me.  I  says  He 
didn't  have  no  right  to  talk  like  that  to  me.  Glea- 
son says  I  suppose  you  think  he's  going  to  laugh 
and  smile  when  we  lost  four  out  of  the  first  five 
games.  He  says  Wait  till  to-night  and  then  go 
up  to  him  and  let  him  know  you  are  sorry  you 
sassed  him.  I  says  I  didn't  sass  him  and  I  ain't 
sorry. 

So  after  supper  I  seen  Callahan  sitting  in  the 
lobby  and  I  went  over  and  sit  down  by  him.  I 
says  When  are  you  going  to  let  me  work?  He 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      37 

says  I  wouldn't  never  let  you  work  only  my 
pitchers  are  all  shot  to  pieces.  Then  I  told  him 
about  you  boys  coming  up  from  Bedford  to  watch 
me  during  the  Detroit  serious  and  he  says  Well 
I  will  start  you  in  the  second  game  against  De- 
troit. He  says  But  I  wouldn't  if  I  had  any 
pitchers.  He  says  A  girl  could  get  out  there  and 
pitch  better  than  some  of  them  have  been  doing. 

So  you  see  Al  I  am  going  to  pitch  on  the  nine- 
teenth. I  hope  you  guys  can  be  up  there  and  I 
will  show  you  something.  I  know  I  can  beat  them 
Tigers  and  I  will  have  to  do  it  even  if  they  are 
Violet's  team. 

I    notice    that   New    York    and   Boston    got 
trimmed  to-day  so  I  suppose  they  wish  Comiskey 
would  ask  for  waivers  on  me.    No  chance  Al. 
Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S. — We  play  eleven  games  in  Chi  and  then 
go  to  Detroit.  So  I  will  see  the  little  girl  on  the 
twenty-ninth. 

Oh  you  Violet. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  April  19. 
DEAR  OLD  PAL:     Well  Al  it's  just  as  well 
you  couldn't  come.    They  beat  me  and  I  am  writ- 
ing you  this  so  as  you  will  know  the  truth  about 


38  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

the  game  and  not  get  a  bum  steer  from  what  you 
read  in  the  papers. 

I  had  a  sore  arm  when  I  was  warming  up  and 
Callahan  should  never  ought  to  of  sent  me  in 
there.  And  Schalk  kept  signing  for  my  fast  ball 
and  I  kept  giving  it  to  him  because  I  thought  he 
ought  to  know  something  about  the  batters. 
Weaver  and  Lord  and  all  of  them  kept  kicking 
them  round  the  infield  and  Collins  and  Bodie 
couldn't  catch  nothing. 

Callahan  ought  never  to  of  left  me  in  there 
when  he  seen  how  sore  my  arm  was.  Why,  I 
couldn't  of  threw  hard  enough  to  break  a  pain 
of  glass  my  arm  was  so  sore. 

They  sure  did  run  wild  on  the  bases.  Cobb 
stole  four  and  Bush  and  Crawford  and  Veach 
about  two  apiece.  Schalk  didn't  even  make  a  peg 
half  the  time.  I  guess  he  was  trying  to  throw 
me  down. 

The  score  was  sixteen  to  two  when  Callahan 
finally  took  me  out  in  the  eighth  and  I  don't  know 
how  many  more  they  got.  I  kept  telling  him  to 
take  me  out  when  I  seen  how  bad  I  was  but  he 
wouldn't  do  it.  They  started  bunting  in  the 
fifth  and  Lord  and  Chase  just  stood  there  and 
didn't  give  me  no  help  at  all. 

I  was  all  0.  K.  till  I  had  the  first  two  men  out 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      39 

in  the  first  inning.  Then  Crawford  come  up.  I 
wanted  to  give  him  a  spitter  but  Schalk  signs  me 
for  the  fast  one  and  I  give  it  to  him.  The  ball 
didn't  hop  much  and  Crawford  happened  to  catch 
it  just  right.  At  that  Collins  ought  to  of  catched 
the  ball.  Crawford  made  three  bases  and  up 
come  Cobb.  It  was  the  first  time  I  ever  seen  him. 
He  hollered  at  me  right  off  the  reel.  He  says 
You  better  walk  me  you  busher.  I  says  I  will 
walk  you  back  to  the  bench.  Schalk  signs  for  a 
spitter  and  I  gives  it  to  him  and  Cobb  misses  it. 

Then  instead  of  signing  for  another  one  Schalk 
asks  for  a  fast  one  and  I  shook  my  head  no  but 
he  signed  for  it  again  and  yells  Put  something 
on  it.  So  I  throwed  a  fast  one  and  Cobb  hits  it 
right  over  second  base.  I  don't  know  what 
Weaver  was  doing  but  he  never  made  a  move  for 
the  ball.  Crawford  scored  and  Cobb  was  on  first 
base.  First  thing  I  knowed  he  had  stole  second 
while  I  held  the  ball.  Callahan  yells  Wake  up 
out  there  and  I  says  Why  don't  your  catcher  tell 
me  when  they  are  going  to  steal.  Schalk  says 
Get  in  there  and  pitch  and  shut  your  mouth.  Then 
I  got  mad  and  walked  Veach  and  Moriarty  but 
before  I  walked  Moriarty  Cobb  and  Veach  pulled 
a  double  steal  on  Schalk.  Gainor  lifts  a  fly  and 


40  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Lord  drops  it  and  two  more  come  in.  Then 
Stanage  walks  and  I  whiffs  their  pitcher. 

I  come  in  to  the  bench  and  Callahan  says  Are 
your  friends  from  Bedford  up  here?  I  was  pretty 
sore  and  I  says  Why  don't  you  get  a  catcher? 
He  says  We  don't  need  no  catcher  when  you're 
pitching  because  you  can't  get  nothing  past  their 
bats.  Then  he  says  You  better  leave  your  uni- 
form in  here  when  you  go  out  next  inning  or  Cobb 
will  steal  it  off  your  back.  I  says  My  arm  is  sore. 
He  says  Use  your  other  one  and  you'll  do  just 
as  good. 

Gleason  says  Who  do  you  want  to  warm  up? 
Callahan  says  Nobody.  He  says  Cobb  is  going 
to  lead  the  league  in  batting  and  basestealing 
anyway  so  we  might  as  well  give  him  a  good 
start.  I  was  mad  enough  to  punch  his  jaw  but 
the  boys  winked  at  me  not  to  do  nothing. 

Well  I  got  some  support  in  the  next  inning 
and  nobody  got  on.  Between  innings  I  says  Well 
I  guess  I  look  better  now  don't  I?  Callahan  says 
Yes  but  you  wouldn't  look  so  good  if  Collins 
hadn't  jumped  up  on  the  fence  and  catched  that 
one  off  Crawford.  That's  all  the  encouragement 
I  got  AL 

Cobb  come  up  again  to  start  the  third  and  when 
Schalk  signs  me  for  a  fast  one  I  shakes  my  head. 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      41 

Then  Schalk  says  All  right  pitch  anything  you 
want  to.  I  pitched  a  spitter  and  Cobb  bunts  it 
right  at  me.  I  would  of  threw  him  out  a  block 
but  I  stubbed  my  toe  in  a  rough  place  and  fell 
down.  This  is  the  roughest  ground  I  ever  seen 
Al.  Veach  bunts  and  for  a  wonder  Lord  throws 
him  out.  Cobb  goes  to  second  and  honest  Al  I 
forgot  all  about  him  being  there  and  first  thing 
I  knowed  he  had  stole  third.  Then  Moriarty  hits 
a  fly  ball  to  Bodie  and  Cobb  scores  though  Bodie 
ought  to  of  threw  him  out  twenty  feet. 

They  batted  all  round  in  the  forth  inning  and 
scored  four  or  five  more.  Crawford  got  the  lucki- 
est three-base  hit  I  ever  see.  He  popped  one 
way  up  in  the  air  and  the  wind  blowed  it  against 
the  fence.  The  wind  is  something  fierce  here  Al. 
At  that  Collins  ought  to  of  got  under  it. 

I  was  looking  at  the  bench  all  the  time  expect- 
ing Callahan  to  call  me  in  but  he  kept  hollering 
Go  on  and  pitch.  Your  friends  wants  to  see  you 
pitch. 

Well  Al  I  don't  know  how  they  got  the  rest 
of  their  runs  but  they  had  more  luck  than  any 
team  I  ever  seen.  And  all  the  time  Jennings  was 
on  the  coaching  line  yelling  like  a  Indian.  Some 
day  Al  I'm  going  to  punch  his  jaw. 

After  Veach  had  hit  one  in  the  eight  Callahan 


42  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

calls  me  to  the  bench  and  says  You're  through  for 
the  day.  I  says  It's  about  time  you  found  out 
my  arm  was  sore.  He  says  I  ain't  worrying  about 
your  arm  but  I'm  afraid  some  of  our  outfielders 
will  run  their  legs  off  and  some  of  them  poor  in- 
fielders  will  get  killed.  He  says  The  reporters 
just  sent  me  a  message  saying  they  had  run  out 
of  paper.  Then  he  says  I  wish  some  of  the  other 
clubs  had  pitchers  like  you  so  we  could  hit  once 
in  a  while.  He  says  Go  in  the  clubhouse  and 
get  your  arm  rubbed  off.  That's  the  only  way 
I  can  get  Jennings  sore  he  says. 

Well  Al  that's  about  all  there  was  to  it.     It 
will  take  two  or  three  stamps  to  send  this  but  I 
want  you  to  know  the  truth  about  it.    The  way 
my  arm  was  I  ought  never  to  of  went  in  there. 
Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  April  2$. 
FRIEND  AL:  Just  a  line  to  let  you  know  I 
am  still  on  earth.  My  arm  feels  pretty  good 
again  and  I  guess  maybe  I  will  work  at  Detroit. 
Violet  writes  that  she  can't  hardly  wait  to  see 
me.  Looks  like  I  got  a  regular  girl  now  Al.  We 
go  up  there  the  twenty-ninth  and  maybe  I  won't 
be  glad  to  see  her.  I  hope  she  will  be  out  to  the 
game  the  day  I  pitch.  I  will  pitch  the  way  I  want 


A  BUSKER'S  LETTERS  HOME      43 

to  next  time  and  them  Tigers  won't  have  such  a 
picnic. 

I  suppose  you  seen  what  the  Chicago  reporters 
said  about  that  game.  I  will  punch  a  couple  of 
their  jaws  when  I  see  them. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  April  29. 

DEAR  OLD  AL:  Well  Al  it's  all  over.  The 
club  went  to  Detroit  last  night  and  I  didn't  go 
along.  Callahan  told  me  to  report  to  Comiskey 
this  morning  and  I  went  up  to  the  office  at  ten 
o'clock.  He  give  me  my  pay  to  date  and  broke 
the  news.  I  am  sold  to  Frisco. 

I  asked  him  how  they  got  waivers  on  me  and 
he  says  Oh  there  was  no  trouble  about  that  be- 
cause they  all  heard  how  you  tamed  the  Tigers. 
Then  he  patted  me  on  the  back  and  says  Go  out 
there  and  work  hard  boy  and  maybe  you'll  get 
another  chance  some  day.  I  was  kind  of  choked 
up  so  I  walked  out  of  the  office. 

I  ain't  had  no  fair  deal  Al  and  I  ain't  going  to 
no  Frisco.  I  will  quit  the  game  first  and  take 
that  job  Charley  offered  me  at  the  billiard  hall. 

I  expect  to  be  in  Bedford  in  a  couple  of  days. 
I  have  got  to  pack  up  first  and  settle  with  my 
landlady  about  my  room  here  which  I  engaged 


44  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

for  all  season  thinking  I  would  be  treated  square. 
I  am  going  to  rest  and  lay  round  home  a  while 
and  try  to  forget  this  rotten  game.  Tell  the  boys 
about  it  Al  and  tell  them  I  never  would  of  got 
let  out  if  I  hadn't  worked  with  a  sore  arm. 

I  feel  sorry  for  that  little  girl  up  in  Detroit  Al. 
She  expected  me  there  today. 

Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  I  suppose  you  seen  where  that  lucky 
lefthander  Allen  shut  out  Cleveland  with  two  hits 
yesterday.  The  lucky  stiff. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK. 

San  Francisco,  California,  May  7j. 

FRIEND  AL:  I  suppose  you  and  the  rest  of 
the  boys  in  Bedford  will  be  supprised  to 
learn  that  I  am  out  here,  because  I  remember  tell- 
ing you  when  I  was  sold  to  San  Francisco  by  the 
White  Sox  that  not  under  no  circumstances  would 
I  report  here.  I  was  pretty  mad  when  Comiskey 
give  me  my  release,  because  I  didn't  think  I  had 
been  given  a  fair  show  by  Callahan.  I  don't  think 
so  yet  Al  and  I  never  will  but  Bill  Sullivan  the 
old  White  Sox  catcher  talked  to  me  and  told  me 
not  to  pull  no  boner  by  refuseing  to  go  where 
they  sent  me.  He  says  You're  only  hurting  your- 
self. He  says  You  must  remember  that  this  was 
your  first  time  up  in  the  big  show  and  very  few 
men  no  matter  how  much  stuff  they  got  can  ex- 
pect to  make  good  right  off  the  reel.  He  says 
All  you  need  is  experience  and  pitching  out  in  the 
Coast  League  will  be  just  the  thing  for  you. 

So  I  went  in  and  asked  Comiskey  for  my  trans- 
45 " 


46  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

portation  and  he  says  That's  right  Boy  go  out 
there  and  work  hard  and  maybe  I  will  want  you 
back.  I  told  him  I  hoped  so  but  I  don't  hope 
nothing  of  the  kind  AL  I  am  going  to  see  if  I 
can't  get  Detroit  to  buy  me,  because  I  would 
rather  live  in  Detroit  than  anywheres  else.  The 
little  girl  who  got  stuck  on  me  this  spring  lives 
there.  I  guess  I  told  you  about  her  AL  Her 
name  is  Violet  and  she  is  some  queen.  And  then 
if  I  got  with  the  Tigers  I  wouldn't  never  have 
to  pitch  against  Cobb  and  Crawford,  though  I 
believe  I  could  show  both  of  them  up  if  I  was 
right.  They  ain't  got  much  of  a  ball  club  here 
and  hardly  any  good  pitchers  outside  of  me.  But 
I  don't  care. 

I  will  win  some  games  if  they  give  me  any  sup- 
port and  I  will  get  back  in  the  big  league  and 
show  them  birds  something.  You  know  me,  AL 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Los  Angeles,  California,  May  20. 
AL  :  Well  old  pal  I  don't  suppose  you  can  find 
much  news  of  this  league  in  the  papers  at  home 
so  you  may  not  know  that  I  have  been  standing 
this  league  on  their  heads.  I  pitched  against 
Oakland  up  home  and  shut  them  out  with  two 
hits.  I  made  them  look  like  suckers  AL  They 


THE  RUSHER  COMES  BACK       47 

hadn't  never  saw  no  speed  like  mine  and  they 
was  scared  to  death  the  minute  I  cut  loose.  I 
could  of  pitched  the  last  six  innings  with  my  foot 
and  trimmed  them  they  was  so  scared. 

Well  we  come  down  here  for  a  serious  and  I 
worked  the  second  game.  They  got  four  hits  and 
one  run,  and  I  just  give  them  the  one  run.  Their 
shortstop  Johnson  was  on  the  training  trip  with 
the  White  Sox  and  of  course  I  knowed  him  pretty 
well.  So  I  eased  up  in  the  last  inning  and  let 
him  hit  one.  If  I  had  of  wanted  to  let  myself 
out  he  couldn't  of  hit  me  with  a  board.  So  I  am 
going  along  good  and  Howard  our  manager  says 
he  is  going  to  use  me  regular.  He's  a  pretty  nice 
manager  and  not  a  bit  sarkastic  like  some  of  them 
big  leaguers.  I  am  fielding  my  position  good  and 
watching  the  baserunners  to.  Thank  goodness  Al 
they  ain't  no  Cobbs  in  this  league  and  a  man  ain't 
scared  of  haveing  his  uniform  stole  off  his  back. 

But  listen  Al  I  don't  want  to  be  bought  by 
Detroit  no  more.  It  is  all  off  between  Violet  and 
I.  She  wasn't  the  sort  of  girl  I  suspected.  She 
is  just  like  them  all  Al.  No  heart.  I  wrote  her 
a  letter  from  Chicago  telling  her  I  was  sold  to 
San  Francisco  and  she  wrote  back  a  postcard  say- 
ing something  about  not  haveing  no  time  to  waste 
on  bushers.  What  do  you  know  about  that 


48  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Calling  me  a  busher.  I  will  show  them.  She 
wasn't  no  good  Al  and  I  figure  I  am  well  rid  of 
her.  Good  riddance  is  rubbish  as  they  say. 

I  will  let  you  know  how  I  get  along  and  if  I 
hear  anything  about  being  sold  or  drafted. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

San  Francisco,  California^  July  20. 

FRIEND  AL:  You  will  forgive  me  for  not 
writeing  to  you  oftener  when  you  hear  the  news 
I  got  for  you.  Old  pal  I  am  engaged  to  be  mar- 
ried. Her  name  is  Hazel  Carney  and  she  is  some 
queen,  Al — a  great  big  stropping  girl  that  must 
weigh  one  hundred  and  sixty  Ibs.  She  is  out  to 
every  game  and  she  got  stuck  on  me  from  watch- 
ing me  work. 

Then  she  writes  a  note  to  me  and  makes  a  date 
and  I  meet  her  down  on  Market  Street  one  night. 
We  go  to  a  nickel  show  together  and  have  some 
time.  Since  then  we  been  together  pretty  near 
every  evening  except  when  I  was  away  on  the 
road. 

Night  before  last  she  asked  me  if  I  was  married 
and  I  tells  her  No  and  she  says  a  big  handsome 
man  like  I  ought  not  to  have  no  trouble  finding 
a  wife.  I  tells  her  I  ain't  never  looked  for  one 
and  she  says  Well  you  wouldn't  have  to  look 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        49 

very  far.  I  asked  her  if  she  was  married  and  she 
said  No  but  she  wouldn't  mind  it.  She  likes  her 
beer  pretty  well  and  her  and  I  had  several  and 
I  guess  I  was  feeling  pretty  good.  Anyway  I 
guess  I  asked  her  if  she  wouldn't  marry  me  and 
she  says  it  was  O.  K.  I  ain't  a  bit  sorry  Al  be- 
cause she  is  some  doll  and  will  make  them  all  sit 
up  back  home.  She  wanted  to  get  married  right 
away  but  I  said  No  wait  till  the  season  is  over 
and  maybe  I  will  have  more  dough.  She  asked 
me  what  I  was  getting  and  I  told  her  two  hundred 
dollars  a  month.  She  says  she  didn't  think  I  was 
getting  enough  and  I  don't  neither  but  I  will  get 
the  money  when  I  get  up  in  the  big  show  again. 

Anyway  we  are  going  to  get  married  this  fall 
and  then  I  will  bring  her  home  and  show  her  to 
you.  She  wants  to  live  in  Chi  or  New  York  but 
I  guess  she  will  like  Bedford  O.  K.  when  she  gets 
acquainted. 

I  have  made  good  here  all  right  Al.  Up  to  a 
week  ago  Sunday  I  had  won  eleven  straight.  I 
have  lost  a  couple  since  then,  but  one  day  I  wasn't 
feeling  good  and  the  other  time  they  kicked  it 
away  behind  me. 

I  had  a  run  in  with  Howard  after  Portland 
had  beat  me.  He  says  Keep  on  running  round 


50  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

with  that  skirt  and  you  won't  never  win  another 
game. 

He  says  Go  to  bed  nights  and  keep  in  shape 
or  I  will  take  your  money.  I  told  him  to  mind 
his  own  business  and  then  he  walked  away  from 
me.  I  guess  he  was  scared  I  was  going  to  smash 
him.  No  manager  ain't  going  to  bluff  me  Al. 

So  I  went  to  bed  early  last  night  and  didn't 
keep  my  date  with  the  kid.  She  was  pretty  sore 
about  it  but  business  before  plesure  Al.  Don't 
tell  the  boys  nothing  about  me  being  engaged.  I 
want  to  surprise  them.  Your  pal,  JACK. 

Sacramento,  California,  August  16. 
FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  I  got  the  supprise  of 
my  life  last  night.  Howard  called  me  up  after 
I  got  to  my  room  and  tells  me  I  am  going  back 
to  the  White  Sox.  Come  to  find  out,  when  they 
sold  me  out  here  they  kept  a  option  on  me  and 
yesterday  they  exercised  it.  He  told  me  I  would 
have  to  report  at  once.  So  I  packed  up  as  quick 
as  I  could  and  then  went  down  to  say  good-by  to 
the  kid.  She  was  all  broke  up  and  wanted  to  go 
along  with  me  but  I  told  her  I  didn't  have  enough 
dough  to  get  married.  She  said  she  would  come 
anyway  and  we  could  get  married  in  Chi  but  I 
told  her  she  better  wait.  She  cried  all  over  my 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        51 

sleeve.  She  sure  is  gone  on  me  Al  and  I  couldn't 
help  feeling  sorry  for  her  but  I  promised  to  send 
for  her  in  October  and  then  everything  will  be  all 
O.  K.  She  asked  me  how  much  I  was  going  to 
get  in  the  big  league  and  I  told  her  I  would  get 
a  lot  more  money  than  out  here  because  I  wouldn't 
play  if  I  didn't.  You  know  me  Al. 

I  come  over  here  to  Sacramento  with  the  club 
this  morning  and  I  am  leaveing  to-night  for  Chi. 
I  will  get  there  next  Tuesday  and  I  guess  Calla- 
han  will  work  me  right  away  because  he  must  of 
seen  his  mistake  in  letting  me  go  by  now.  I  will 
show  them  Al. 

I  looked  up  the  skedule  and  I  seen  where  we 
play  in  Detroit  the  fifth  and  sixth  of  September. 
I  hope  they  will  let  me  pitch  there  Al.  Violet 
goes  to  the  games  and  I  will  make  her  sorry  she 
give  me  that  kind  of  treatment.  And  I  will  make 
them  Tigers  sorry  they  kidded  me  last  spring.  I 
ain't  afraid  of  Cobb  or  none  of  them  now,  Al. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago  Illinois,  August  27. 
AL:     Well  old  pal  I  guess  I  busted  in  right. 
Did  you  notice  what  I  done  to  them  Athaletics, 
the  best  ball  club  in  the  country4?     I  bet  Violet 
wishes  she  hadn't  called  me  no  busher. 


$2  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

I  got  here  last  Tuesday  and  set  up  in  the  stand 
and  watched  the  game  that  afternoon.  Wash- 
ington was  playing  here  and  Johnson  pitched.  I 
was  anxious  to  watch  him  because  I  had  heard  so 
much  about  him.  Honest  Al  he  ain't  as  fast  as 
me.  He  shut  them  out,  but  they  never  was  much 
of  a  hitting  club.  I  went  to  the  clubhouse  after 
the  game  and  shook  hands  with  the  bunch.  Kid 
Gleason  the  assistant  manager  seemed  pretty  glad 
to  see  me  and  he  says  Well  have  you  learned 
something?  I  says  Yes  I  guess  I  have.  He  says 
Did  you  see  the  game  this  afternoon?  I  says  I 
had  and  he  asked  me  what  I  thought  of  Johnson. 
I  says  I  don't  think  so  much  of  him.  He  says 
Well  I  guess  you  ain't  learned  nothing  then.  He 
says  What  was  the  matter  with  Johnson's  work? 
I  says  He  ain't  got  nothing  but  a  fast  ball.  Then 
he  says  Yes  and  Rockefeller  ain't  got  nothing 
but  a  hundred  million  bucks. 

Well  I  asked  Callahan  if  he  was  going  to  give 
me  a  chance  to  work  and  he  says  he  was.  But  I 
sat  on  the  bench  a  couple  of  days  and  he  didn't 
ask  me  to  do  nothing.  Finally  I  asked  him  why 
not  and  he  says  I  am  saving  you  to  work  against 
a  good  club,  the  Athaletics.  Well  the  Athaletics 
come  and  I  guess  you  know  by  this  time  what  I 
done  to  them.  And  I  had  to  work  against  Bender 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        53 

at  that  but  I  ain't  afraid  of  none  of  them  now  Al. 

Baker  didn't  hit  one  hard  all  afternoon  and  I 
didn't  have  no  trouble  with  Collins  neither.  I 
let  them  down  with  five  blows  all  though  the 
papers  give  them  seven.  Them  reporters  here 
don't  no  more  about  scoreing  than  some  old 
woman.  They  give  Barry  a  hit  on  a  fly  ball  that 
Bodie  ought  to  of  eat  up,  only  he  stumbled  or 
something  and  they  handed  Oldring  a  two  base 
hit  on  a  ball  that  Weaver  had  to  duck  to  get  out 
of  the  way  from.  But  I  don't  care  nothing  about 
reporters.  I  beat  them  Athaletics  and  beat  them 
good,  five  to  one.  Gleason  slapped  me  on  the 
back  after  the  game  and  says  Well  you  learned 
something  after  all.  Rub  some  arnicky  on  your 
head  to  keep  the  swelling  down  and  you  may  be 
a  real  pitcher  yet.  I  says  I  ain't  got  no  swell 
head.  He  says  No.  If  I  hated  myself  like  you 
do  I  would  be  a  moveing  picture  actor. 

Well  I  asked  Callahan  would  he  let  me  pitch 
up  to  Detroit  and  he  says  Sure.  He  says  Do  you 
want  to  get  revenge  on  them?  I  says,  Yes  I  did. 
He  says  Well  you  have  certainly  got  some  come- 
ing.  He  says  I  never  seen  no  man  get  worse  treat- 
ment than  them  Tigers  give  you  last  spring.  I 
says  Well  they  won't  do  it  this  time  because  I  will 


54  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

know  how  to  pitch  to  them.  He  says  How  are 
you  going  to  pitch  to  Cobb?  I  says  I  am  going 
to  feed  him  on  my  slow  one.  He  says  Well  Cobb 
had  ought  to  make  a  good  meal  off  of  that.  Then 
we  quit  jokeing  and  he  says  You  have  improved 
a  hole  lot  and  I  am  going  to  work  you  right  along 
regular  and  if  you  can  stand  the  gaff  I  may  be 
able  to  use  you  in  the  city  serious.  You  know  Al 
the  White  Sox  plays  a  city  serious  every  fall  with 
the  Cubs  and  the  players  makes  quite  a  lot  of 
money.  The  winners  gets  about  eight  hundred 
dollars  a  peace  and  the  losers  about  five  hundred. 
We  will  be  the  winners  if  I  have  anything  to  say 
about  it. 

I  am  tickled  to  death  at  the  chance  of  working 
in  Detroit  and  I  can't  hardly  wait  till  we  get 
there.  Watch  my  smoke  Al. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  I  am  going  over  to  Allen's  flat  to  play 
cards  a  while  to-night.  Allen  is  the  left-hander 
that  was  on  the  training  trip  with  us.  He  ain't 
got  a  thing,  Al,  and  I  don't  see  how  he  gets  by. 
He  is  married  and  his  wife's  sister  is  visiting  them. 
She  wants  to  meet  me  but  it  won't  do  her  much 
good.  I  seen  her  out  to  the  game  today  and  she 
ain't  much  for  looks. 


THE  RUSHER  COMES  RACK        55 

Detroit,  Mich.,  September  6. 

FRIEND  AL:  I  got  a  hole  lot  to  write  but  I 
ain't  got  much  time  because  we  are  going  over  to 
Cleveland  on  the  boat  at  ten  p.  M.  I  made  them 
Tigers  like  it  Al  just  like  I  said  I  would.  And 
what  do  you  think,  Al,  Violet  called  me  up  after 
the  game  and  wanted  to  see  me  but  I  will  tell  you 
about  the  game  first. 

They  got  one  hit  off  of  me  and  Cobb  made  it  a 
scratch  single  that  he  beat  out.  If  he  hadn't  of 
been  so  dam  fast  I  would  of  had  a  no  hit  game. 
At  that  Weaver  could  of  threw  him  out  if  he  had 
of  started  after  the  ball  in  time.  Crawford  didn't 
get  nothing  like  a  hit  and  I  whiffed  him  once.  I 
give  two  walks  both  of  them  to  Rush  but  he  is 
such  a  little  guy  that  you  can't  pitch  to  him. 

When  I  was  warming  up  before  the  game  Calla- 
han  was  standing  beside  me  and  pretty  soon 
Jennings  come  over.  Jennings  says  You  ain't 
going  to  pitch  that  bird  are  you?  And  Callahan 
said  Yes  he  was.  Then  Jennings  says  I  wish  you 
wouldn't  because  my  boys  is  all  tired  out  and 
can't  run  the  bases.  Callahan  says  They  won't 
get  no  chance  to-day.  No,  says  Jennings  I  sup- 
pose not.  I  suppose  he  will  walk  them  all  and 
they  won't  have  to  run.  Callahan  says  He  won't 
give  no  bases  on  balls,  he  says.  Rut  you  better 


56  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

tell  your  gang  that  he  is  liable  to  bean  them  and 
they  better  stay  away  from  the  plate.  Jennings 
says  He  won't  never  hurt  my  boys  by  beaning 
them.  Then  I  cut  in.  Nor  you  neither,  I  says. 
Callahan  laughs  at  that  so  I  guess  I  must  of  pulled 
a  pretty  good  one.  Jennings  didn't  have  no  come- 
back so  he  walks  away. 

Then  Cobb  come  over  and  asked  if  I  was  going 
to  work.  Callahan  told  him  Yes.  Cobb  says 
How  many  innings  ?  Callahan  says  All  the  way. 
Then  Cobb  says  Be  a  good  fellow  Cal  and  take 
him  out  early.  I  am  lame  and  can't  run.  I  butts 
in  then  and  said  Don't  worry,  Cobb.  You  won't 
have  to  run  because  we  have  got  a  catcher  who 
can  hold  them  third  strikes.  Callahan  laughed 
again  and  says  to  me  You  sure  did  learn  some- 
thing out  on  that  Coast. 

Well  I  walked  Bush  right  off  -the  real  and  they 
all  begun  to  holler  on  the  Detroit  bench  There 
he  goes  again.  Vitt  come  up  and  Jennings  yells 
Leave  your  bat  in  the  bag  Osker.  He  can't  get 
them  over.  But  I  got  them  over  for  that  bird  all 
O.  K.  and  he  pops  out  trying  to  bunt.  And  then 
I  whirled  Crawford.  He  starts  off  with  a  foul 
that  had  me  scared  for  a  minute  because  it  was 
pretty  close  to  the  foul  line  and  it  went  clear  out 
of  the  park.  But  he  missed  a  spitter  a  foot  and 


THE  BUSHER  COMES  BACK        57 

then  I  supprised  them  Al.  I  give  him  a  slow  ball 
and  I  honestly  had  to  laugh  to  see  him  lunge  for 
it.  I  bet  he  must  of  strained  himself.  He  throwed 
his  bat  way  like  he  was  mad  and  I  guess  he 
was.  Cobb  came  pranceing  up  like  he  always  does 
and  yells  Give  me  that  slow  one  Boy.  So  I  says 
All  right.  But  I  fooled  him.  Instead  of  giveing 
him  a  slow  one  like  I  said  I  was  going  I  handed 
him  a  spitter.  He  hit  it  all  right  but  it  was  a 
line  drive  right  in  Chase's  hands.  He  says  Pretty 
lucky  Boy  but  I  will  get  you  next  time.  I  come 
right  back  at  him.  I  says  Yes  you  will. 

Well  Al  I  had  them  going  like  that  all  through. 
About  the  sixth  inning  Callahan  yells  from  the 
bench  to  Jennings  What  do  you  think  of  him 
now?  And  Jennings  didn't  say  nothing.  What 
could  he  of  said*? 

Cobb  makes  their  one  hit  in  the  eighth.  He 
never  would  of  made  it  if  Schalk  had  of  let  me 
throw  him  spitters  instead  of  fast  ones.  At  that 
Weaver  ought  to  of  threw  him  out.  Anyway  they 
didn't  score  and  we  made  a  monkey  out  of  Du- 
buque,  or  whatever  his  name  is. 

Well  Al  I  got  back  to  the  hotel  and  snuck  down 
the  street  a  ways  and  had  a  couple  of  beers  be- 
fore supper.  So  I  come  to  the  supper  table  late 
and  Walsh  tells  me  they  had  been  several  phone 


58  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

calls  for  me.  I  go  down  to  the  desk  and  they 
tell  me  to  call  up  a  certain  number.  So  I  called 
up  and  they  charged  me  a  nickel  for  it.  A  girl's 
voice  answers  the  phone  and  I  says  Was  they 
some  one  there  that  wanted  to  talk  to  Jack  Keefe? 
She  says  You  bet  they  is.  She  says  Don't  you 
know  me,  Jack4?  This  is  Violet.  Well,  you 
could  of  knocked  me  down  with  a  peace  of  bread. 
I  says  What  do  you  want  ?  She  says  Why  I  want 
to  see  you.  I  says  Well  you  can't  see  me.  She 
says  Why  what's  the  matter,  Jack?  What  have 
I  did  that  you  should  be  sore  at  me?  I  says  I 
guess  you  know  all  right.  You  called  me  a  busher. 
She  says  Why  I  didn't  do  nothing  of  the  kind. 
I  says  Yes  you  did  on  that  postcard.  She  says 
I  didn't  write  you  no  postcard. 

Then  we  argued  along  for  a  while  and  she 
swore  up  and  down  that  she  didn't  write  me  no 
postcard  or  call  me  no  busher.  I  says  Well  then 
why  didn't  you  write  me  a  letter  when  I  was  in 
Frisco?  She  says  she  had  lost  my  address.  Well 
Al  I  don't  know  if  she  was  telling  me  the  truth 
or  not  but  may  be  she  didn't  write  that  postcard 
after  all.  She  was  crying  over  the  telephone  so  I 
says  Well  it  is  too  late  for  I  and  you  to  get  to- 
gether because  I  am  engaged  to  be  married.  Then 
she  screamed  and  I  hang  up  the  receiver.  She 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK       59 

must  of  called  back  two  or  three  times  because 
they  was  calling  my  name  round  the  hotel  but 
I  wouldn't  go  near  the  phone.  You  know  me  Al. 

Well  when  I  hang  up  and  went  back  to  finish 
my  supper  the  dining  room  was  locked.  So  I  had 
to  go  out  and  buy  myself  a  sandwich.  They 
soaked  me  fifteen  cents  for  a  sandwich  and  a  cup 
of  coffee  so  with  the  nickel  for  the  phone  I  am 
out  twenty  cents  altogether  for  nothing.  But 
then  I  would  of  had  to  tip  the  waiter  in  the  hotel 
a  dime. 

Well  Al  I  must  close  and  catch  the  boat.  I 
expect  a  letter  from  Hazel  in  Cleveland  and 
maybe  Violet  will  write  to  me  too.  She  is  stuck 
on  me  all  right  Al.  I  can  see  that.  And  I  don't 
believe  she  could  of  wrote  that  postcard  after  all. 
Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Boston,  Massachusetts,  September  12. 
OLD  PAL:  Well  Al  I  got  a  letter  from  Hazel 
in  Cleveland  and  she  is  comeing  to  Chi  in  Octo- 
ber for  the  city  serious.  She  asked  me  to  send 
her  a  hundred  dollars  for  her  fare  and  to  buy 
some  cloths  with.  I  sent  her  thirty  dollars  for 
the  fare  and  told  her  she  could  wait  till  she  got 
to  Chi  to  buy  her  cloths.  She  said  she  would  give 
me  the  money  back  as  soon  as  she  seen  me  but 


6o  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

she  is  a  little  short  now  because  one  of  her  girl 
friends  borrowed  fifty  off  of  her.  I  guess  she 
must  be  pretty  soft-hearted  AL  I  hope  you  and 
Bertha  can  come  up  for  the  wedding  because  I 
would  like  to  have  you  stand  up  with  me. 

I  all  so  got  a  letter  from  Violet  and  they  was 
blots  all  over  it  like  she  had  been  crying.  She 
swore  she  did  not  write  that  postcard  and  said 
she  would  die  if  I  didn't  believe  her.  She  wants 
to  know  who  the  lucky  girl  is  who  I  am  engaged 
to  be  married  to.  I  believe  her  Al  when  she  says 
she  did  not  write  that  postcard  but  it  is  too  late 
now.  I  will  let  you  know  the  date  of  my  wed- 
ding as  soon  as  I  find  out. 

I  guess  you  seen  what  I  done  in  Cleveland  and 
here.  Allen  was  going  awful  bad  in  Cleveland 
and  I  relieved  him  in  the  eighth  when  we  had  a 
lead  of  two  runs.  I  put  them  out  in  one-two- 
three  order  in  the  eighth  but  had  hard  work  in 
the  ninth  due  to  rotten  support.  I  walked  John- 
ston and  Chapman  and  Turner  sacrificed  them 
ahead.  Jackson  come  up  then  and  I  had  two 
strikes  on  him.  I  could  of  whiffed  him  but 
Schalk  makes  me  give  him  a  fast  one  when  I 
wanted  to  give  him  a  slow  one.  He  hit  it  to 
Berger  and  Johnston  ought  to  of  been  threw  out 
at  the  plate  but  Berger  fumbles  and  then  has  to 


THE  BUSHER  COMES  BACK       61 

make  the  play  at  first  base.  He  got  Jackson  all 
O.  K.  but  they  was  only  one  run  behind  then 
and  Chapman  was  on  third  base.  Lajoie  was  up 
next  and  Callahan  sends  out  word  for  me  to  walk 
him.  I  thought  that  was  rotten  manageing  be- 
cause Lajoie  or  no  one  else  can  hit  me  when  I 
want  to  cut  loose.  So  after  I  give  him  two  bad 
balls  I  tried  to  slip  over  a  strike  on  him  but  the 
lucky  stiff  hit  it  on  a  line  to  Weaver.  Anyway 
the  game  was  over  and  I  felt  pretty  good.  But 
Callahan  don't  appresiate  good  work  Al.  He  give 
me  a  call  in  the  clubhouse  and  said  if  I  ever  dis- 
obeyed his  orders  again  he  would  suspend  me 
without  no  pay  and  lick  me  too.  Honest  Al  it 
was  all  I  could  do  to  keep  from  wrapping  his  jaw 
but  Gleason  winks  at  me  not  to  do  nothing. 

I  worked  the  second  game  here  and  give  them 
three  hits  two  of  which  was  bunts  that  Lord 
ought  to  of  eat  up.  I  got  better  support  in  Frisco 
than  I  been  getting  here  AL  But  I  don't  care. 
The  Boston  bunch  couldn't  of  'hit  me  with  a  shov- 
vel  and  we  beat  them  two  to  nothing.  I  worked 
against  Wood  at  that.  They  call  him  Smoky  Joe 
and  they  say  he  has  got  a  lot  of  speed. 

Boston  is  some  town,  Al,  and  I  wish  you  and 
Bertha  could  come  here  sometime.  I  went  down 
to  the  wharf  this  morning  and  seen  them  unload 


62  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

the  fish.  They  must  of  been  a  million  of  them 
but  I  didn't  have  time  to  count  them.  Every  one 
of  them  was  five  or  six  times  as  big  as  a  blue  gill. 
Violet  asked  me  what  would  be  my  address  in 
New  York  City  so  I  am  dropping  her  a  postcard 
to  let  her  know  all  though  I  don't  know  what 
good  it  will  do  her.  I  certainly  won't  start  no 
correspondents  with  her  now  that  I  am  engaged 
to  be  married.  Yours  truly,  JACK. 

New  York,  New  York^  September  16. 

FRIEND  AL:  I  opened  the  serious  here  and 
beat  them  easy  but  I  know  you  must  of  saw  about 
it  in  the  Chi  papers.  At  that  they  don't  give  me 
no  fair  show  in  the  Chi  papers.  One  of  the  boys 
bought  one  here  and  I  seen  in  it  where  I  was  lucky 
to  win  that  game  in  Cleveland.  If  I  knowed 
which  one  of  them  reporters  wrote  that  I  would 
punch  his  jaw. 

Al  I  told  you  Boston  was  some  town  but  this  is 
the  real  one.  I  never  seen  nothing  like  it  and  I 
been  going  some  since  we  got  here.  I  walked 
down  Broadway  the  Main  Street  last  night  and 
I  run  into  a  couple  of  the  ball  players  and  they 
took  me  to  what  they  call  the  Garden  but  it  ain't 
like  the  gardens  at  home  because  this  one  is  in- 
doors. We  sat  down  to  a  table  and  had  several 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        63 

drinks.  Pretty  soon  one  of  the  boys  asked  me 
if  I  was  broke  and  I  says  No,  why*?  He  says  You 
better  get  some  lubricateing  oil  and  loosen  up.  I 
don't  know  what  he  meant  but  pretty  soon  when 
we  had  had  a  lot  of  drinks  the  waiter  brings  a 
check  and  hands  it  to  me.  It  was  for  one  dollar. 
I  says  Oh  I  ain't  paying  for  all  of  them.  The 
waiter  says  This  is  just  for  that  last  drink. 

I  thought  the  other  boys  would  make  a  holler 
but  they  didn't  say  nothing.  So  I  give  him  a  dol- 
lar bill  and  even  then  he  didn't  act  satisfied  so 
I  asked  him  what  he  was  waiting  for  and  he  said 
Oh  nothing,  kind  of  sassy.  I  was  going  to  bust 
him  but  the  boys  give  me  the  sign  to  shut  up  and 
not  to  say  nothing.  I  excused  myself  pretty  soon 
because  I  wanted  to  get  some  air.  I  give  my  check 
for  my  hat  to  a  boy  and  he  brought  my  hat  and 
I  started  going  and  he  says  Haven't  you  forgot 
something?  I  guess  he  must  of  thought  I  was 
wearing  a  overcoat. 

Then  I  went  down  the  Main  Street  again  and 
some  man  stopped  me  and  asked  me  did  I  want 
to  go  to  the  show.  He  said  he  had  a  ticket.  I 
asked  him  what  show  and  he  said  the  Follies.  I 
never  heard  of  it  but  I  told  him  I  would  go  if  he 
had  a  ticket  to  spare.  He  says  I  will  spare  you 
this  one  for  three  dollars.  I  says  You  must  take 


64  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

me  for  some  boob.  He  says  No  I  wouldn't  in- 
sult no  boob.  So  I  walks  on  but  if  he  had  of  in- 
sulted me  I  would  of  busted  him. 

I  went  back  to  the  hotel  then  and  run  into  Kid 
Gleason.  He  asked  me  to  take  a  walk  with  him 
so  out  I  go  again.  We  went  to  the  corner  and 
he  bought  me  a  beer.  He  don't  drink  nothing  but 
pop  himself.  The  two  drinks  was  only  ten  cents 
so  I  says  This  is  the  place  for  me.  He  says  Where 
have  you  been?  and  I  told  him  about  paying  one 
dollar  for  three  drinks.  He  says  I  see  I  will  have 
to  take  charge  of  you.  Don't  go  round  with  them 
ball  players  no  more.  When  you  want  to  go  out 
and  see  the  sights  come  to  me  and  I  will  stear 
you.  So  to-night  he  is  going  to  stear  me.  I  will 
write  to  you  from  Philadelphia. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  September  /p. 
FRIEND  AL:  They  won't  be  no  game  here 
to-day  because  it  is  raining.  We  all  been  loafing 
round  the  hotel  all  day  and  I  am  glad  of  it  be- 
cause I  got  all  tired  out  over  in  New  York  City. 
I  and  Kid  Gleason  went  round  together  the  last 
couple  of  nights  over  there  and  he  wouldn't  let 
me  spend  no  money.  I  seen  a  lot  of  girls  that  I 
would  of  liked  to  of  got  acquainted  with  but  he 


THE  BUSHER  COMES  BACK        65 

wouldn't  even  let  me  answer  them  when  they 
spoke  to  me.  We  run  in  to  a  couple  of  peaches 
last  night  and  they  had  us  spotted  too.  One  of 
them  says  I'll  bet  you're  a  couple  of  ball  players. 
But  Kid  says  You  lose  your  bet.  I  am  a  bellhop 
and  the  big  rube  with  me  is  nothing  but  a  pitcher. 

One  of  them  says  What  are  you  trying  to  do 
kid  somebody*?  He  says  Go  home  and  get  some 
soap  and  remove  your  disguise  from  your  face. 
I  didn't  think  he  ought  to  talk  like  that  to  them 
and  I  called  him  about  it  and  said  maybe  they 
was  lonesome  and  it  wouldn't  hurt  none  if  we 
treated  them  to  a  soda  or  something.  But  he  says 
Lonesome.  If  I  don't  get  you  away  from  here 
they  will  steal  everything  you  got.  They  won't 
even  leave  you  your  fast  ball.  So  we  left  them 
and  he  took  me  to  a  picture  show.  It  was  some 
California  pictures  and  they  made  me  think  of 
Hazel  so  when  I  got  back  to  the  hotel  I  sent  her 
three  postcards. 

Gleason  made  me  go  to  my  room  at  ten  o'clock 
both  nights  but  I  was  pretty  tired  anyway  be- 
cause he  had  walked  me  all  over  town.  I  guess 
we  must  of  saw  twenty  shows.  He  says  I  would 
take  you  to  the  grand  opera  only  it  would  be 
throwing  money  away  because  we  can  hear  Ed 


66  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Walsh  for  nothing.     Walsh  has  got  some  voice 
Al  a  loud  high  tenor. 

To-morrow  is  Sunday  and  we  have  a  double 
header  Monday  on  account  of  the  rain  to-day. 
I  thought  sure  I  would  get  another  chance  to  beat 
the  Athaletics  and  I  asked  Callahan  if  he  was 
going  to  pitch  me  here  but  he  said  he  thought  he 
would  save  me  to  work  against  Johnson  in  Wash- 
ington. So  you  see  Al  he  must  figure  I  am  about 
the  best  he  has  got.  I'll  beat  him  Al  if  they  get  a 
couple  of  runs  behind  me. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

P.  S.  They  was  a  letter  here  from  Violet  and 
it  pretty  near  made  me  feel  like  crying.  I  wish 
they  was  two  of  me  so  both  them  girls  could  be 
happy. 

Washington,  D.  C.,  September  22. 

DEAR  OLD  AL:  Well  Al  here  I  am  in  the 
capital  of  the  old  United  States.  We  got  in  last 
night  and  I  been  walking  round  town  all  morning. 
But  I  didn't  tire  myself  out  because  I  am  going 
to  pitch  against  Johnson  this  afternoon. 

This  is  the  prettiest  town  I  ever  seen  but  I  be- 
lieve they  is  more  colored  people  here  than  they 
is  in  Evansville  or  Chi.  I  seen  the  White  House 
and  the  Monumunt.  They  say  that  Bill  Sulli- 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        67 

van  and  Gabby  St.  once  catched  a  baseball  that 
was  threw  off  of  the  top  of  the  Monumunt  but 
I  bet  they  couldn't  catch  it  if  I  thro  wed  it. 

I  was  in  to  breakfast  this  morning  with  Glea- 
son  and  Bodie  and  Weaver  and  Fournier.  Glea- 
son  says  I'm  supprised  that  you  ain't  sick  in  bed 
to-day.  I  says  Why*? 

He  says  Most  of  our  pitchers  gets  sick  when 
Cal  tells  them  they  are  going  to  work  against 
Johnson.  He  says  Here's  these  other  fellows  all 
feeling  pretty  sick  this  morning  and  they  ain't 
even  pitchers.  All  they  have  to  do  is  hit  against 
him  but  it  looks  like  as  if  Cal  would  have  to  send 
substitutes  in  for  them.  Bodie  is  complaining  of  a 
sore  arm  which  he  must  of  strained  drawing  to 
two  card  flushes.  Fournier  and  Weaver  have 
strained  their  legs  doing  the  tango  dance.  Noth- 
ing could  cure  them  except  to  hear  that  big  Walter 
had  got  thro  wed  out  of  his  machine  and  wouldn't 
be  able  to  pitch  against  us  in  this  serious. 

I  says  I  feel  O.  K.  and  I  ain't  afraid  to  pitch 
against  Johnson  and  I  ain't  afraid  to  hit  against 
him  neither.  Then  Weaver  says  Have  you  ever 
saw  him  work*?  Yes,  I  says,  I  seen  him  in  Chi. 
Then  Weaver  says  Well  if  you  have  saw  him 
work  and  ain't  afraid  to  hit  against  him  I'll  bet 
you  would  go  down  to  Wall  Street  and  holler 


68  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Hurrah  for  Roosevelt.  I  says  No  I  wouldn't  do 
that  but  I  ain't  afraid  of  no  pitcher  and  what  is 
more  if  you  get  me  a  couple  of  runs  I'll  beat  him. 
Then  Fournier  says  Oh  we  will  get  you  a  couple 
of  runs  all  right.  He  says  That's  just  as  easy  as 
catching  whales  with  a  angleworm. 

Well  Al  I  must  close  and  go  in  and  get  some 
lunch.  My  arm  feels  great  and  they  will  have 
to  go  some  to  beat  me  Johnson  or  no  Johnson. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Washington,  D.  C.,  September  22. 

FRIEND  AL:  Well  I  guess  you  know  by  this 
time  that  they  didn't  get  no  two  runs  for  me, 
only  one,  but  I  beat  him  just  the  same.  I  beat 
him  one  to  nothing  and  Callahan  was  so  pleased 
that  he  give  me  a  ticket  to  the  theater.  I  just 
got  back  from  there  and  it  is  pretty  late  and  I 
already  have  wrote  you  one  letter  to-day  but  I 
am  going  to  sit  up  and  tell  you  about  it. 

It  was  cloudy  before  the  game  started  and  when 
I  was  warming  up  I  made  the  remark  to  Callahan 
that  the  dark  day  ought  to  make  my  speed  good. 
He  says  Yes  and  of  course  it  will  handicap  John- 
son. 

While  Washington  was  takeing  their  practice 
their  two  coachers  Schaefer  and  Altrock  got  out 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        69 

on  the  infield  and  cut  up  and  I  pretty  near  busted 
laughing  at  them.  They  certainly  is  funny  Al. 
Callahan  asked  me  what  was  I  laughing  at  and 
I  told  him  and  he  says  That's  the  first  time  I 
ever  seen  a  pitcher  laugh  when  he  was  going  to 
work  against  Johnson.  He  says  Griffith  is  a 
pretty  good  fellow  to  give  us  something  to  laugh 
at  before  he  shoots  that  guy  at  us. 

I  warmed  up  good  and  told  Schalk  not  to  ask 
me  for  my  spitter  much  because  my  fast  one  looked 
faster  than  I  ever  seen  it.  He  says  it  won't  make 
much  difference  what  you  pitch  to-day.  I  says 
Oh,  yes,  it  will  because  Callahan  thinks  enough 
of  me  to  work  me  against  Johnson  and  I  want 
to  show  him  he  didn't  make  no  mistake.  Then 
Gleason  says  No  he  didn't  make  no  mistake. 
Wasteing  Cicotte  or  Scotty  would  of  been  a  mis- 
take in  this  game. 

Well,  Johnson  whiffs  Weaver  and  Chase  and 
makes  Lord  pop  out  in  the  first  inning.  I  walked 
their  first  guy  but  I  didn't  give  Milan  nothing  to 
bunt  and  finally  he  flied  out.  And  then  I  whiffed 
the  next  two.  On  the  bench  Callahan  says  That's 
the  way,  boy.  Keep  that  up  and  we  got  a  chance. 

Johnson  had  fanned  four  of  us  when  I  come  up 
with  two  out  in  the  third  inning  and  he  whiffed 
me  to.  I  fouled  one  though  that  if  I  had  ever 


yo  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

got  a  good  hold  of  I  would  of  knocked  out  of  the 
park.  In  the  first  seven  innings  we  didn't  have  a 
hit  off  of  him.  They  had  got  five  or  six  lucky 
ones  off  of  me  and  I  had  walked  two  or  three, 
but  I  cut  loose  with  all  I  had  when  they  was  men 
on  and  they  couldn't  do  nothing  with  me.  The 
only  reason  I  walked  so  many  was  because  my 
fast  one  was  jumping  so.  Honest  Al  it  was  so 
fast  that  Evans  the  umpire  couldn't  see  it  half 
the  time  and  he  called  a  lot  of  balls  that  was  right 
over  the  heart. 

Well  I  come  up  in  the  eighth  with  two  out  and 
the  score  still  nothing  and  nothing.  I  had  whiffed 
the  second  time  as  well  as  the  first  but  it  was  ac- 
count of  Evans  missing  one  on  me.  The  eighth 
started  with  Shanks  muffing  a  fly  ball  off  of  Bo- 
die.  It  was  way  out  by  the  fence  so  he  got  two 
bases  on  it  and  he  went  to  third  while  they  was 
throwing  Berger  out.  Then  Schalk  whiffed. 

Callahan  says  Go  up  and  try  to  meet  one  Jack. 
It  might  as  well  be  you  as  anybody  else.  But 
your  old  pal  didn't  whiff  this  time  Al.  He  gets 
two  strikes  on  me  with  fast  ones  and  then  I  passed 
up  two  bad  ones.  I  took  my  healthy  at  the  next 
one  and  slapped  it  over  first  base.  I  guess  I  could 
of  made  two  bases  on  it  but  I  didn't  want  to  tire 
myself  out.  Anyway  Bodie  scored  and  I  had  them 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        71 

beat.  And  my  hit  was  the  only  one  we  got  off 
of  him  so  I  guess  he  is  a  pretty  good  pitcher  after 
all  Al. 

They  filled  up  the  bases  on  me  with  one  out  in 
the  ninth  but  it  was  pretty  dark  then  and  I  made 
McBride  and  their  catcher  look  like  suckers  with 
my  speed. 

I  felt  so  good  after  the  game  that  I  drunk  one 
of  them  pink  cocktails.  I  don't  know  what  their 
name  is.  And  then  I  sent  a  postcard  to  poor  little 
Violet.  I  don't  care  nothing  about  her  but  it 
don't  hurt  me  none  to  try  and  cheer  her  up  once 
in  a  while.  We  leave  here  Thursday  night  for 
home  and  they  had  ought  to  be  two  or  three  let- 
ters there  for  me  from  Hazel  because  I  haven't 
heard  from  her  lately.  She  must  of  lost  my  road 
addresses. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  I  forgot  to  tell  you  what  Callahan  said 
after  the  game.  He  said  I  was  a  real  pitcher  now 
and  he  is  going  to  use  me  in  the  city  serious.  If 
he  does  Al  we  will  beat  them  Cubs  sure. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  September  27. 
FRIEND  AL:    They  wasn't  no  letter  here  at  all 
from  Hazel  and  I  guess  she  must  of  been  sick. 


72  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Or  maybe  she  didn't  think  it  was  worth  while 
writeing  as  long  as  she  is  comeing  next  week. 

I  want  to  ask  you  to  do  me  a  favor  Al  and  that 
is  to  see  if  you  can  find  me  a  house  down  there. 
I  will  want  to  move  in  with  Mrs.  Keefe,  don't 
that  sound  funny  Al?  sometime  in  the  week  of 
October  twelfth.  Old  man  Cutting's  house  or 
that  yellow  house  across  from  you  would  be  O.  K. 
I  would  rather  have  the  yellow  one  so  as  to  be 
near  you.  Find  out  how  much  rent  they  want 
Al  and  if  it  is  not  no  more  than  twelve  dollars 
a  month  get  it  for  me.  We  will  buy  our  furniture 
here  in  Chi  when  Hazel  comes. 

We  have  a  couple  of  days  off  now  Al  and  then 
we  play  St..  Louis  two  games  here.  Then  Detroit 
comes  to  finish  the  season  the  third  and  fourth 
of  October. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  j. 

DEAR  OLD  AL:  Thanks  Al  for  getting  the 
house.  The  one-year  lease  is  O.  K.  You  and 
Bertha  and  me  and  Hazel  can  have  all  sorts  of 
good  times  together.  I  guess  the  walk  needs  re- 
pairs but  I  can  fix  that  up  when  I  come.  We  can 
stay  at  the  hotel  when  we  first  get  there. 

I  wish  you  could  of  came  up  for  the  city  seri- 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        73 

ous  Al  but  anyway  I  want  you  and  Bertha  to 
be  sure  and  come  up  for  our  wedding.  I  will  let 
you  know  the  date  as  soon  as  Hazel  gets  here. 

The  serious  starts  Tuesday  and  this  town  is 
wild  over  it.  The  Cubs  finished  second  in  their 
league  and  we  was  fifth  in  ours  but  that  don't 
scare  me  none.  We  would  of  finished  right  on 
top  if  I  had  of  been  here  all  season. 

Callahan  pitched  one  of  the  bushers  against  De- 
troit this  afternoon  and  they  beat  him  bad.  Cal- 
lahan is  saveing  up  Scott  and  Allen  and  Russell 
and  Cicotte  and  I  for  the  big  show.  Walsh  isn't 
in  no  shape  and  neither  is  Benz.  It  looks  like  I 
would  have  a  good  deal  to  do  because  most  of 
them  others  can't  work  no  more  than  once  in  four 
days  and  Allen  ain't  no  good  at  all. 

We  have  a  day  to  rest  after  to-morrow's  game 
with  the  Tigers  and  then  we  go  at  them  Cubs. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  I  have  got  it  figured  that  Hazel  is  fixing 
to  surprise  me  by  dropping  in  on  me  because  I 
haven't  heard  nothing  yet. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  7. 
FRIEND  AL:    Well  Al  you  know  by  this  time 
that  they  beat  me  to-day  and  tied  up  the  serious. 
But  I  have  still  got  plenty  of  time  Al  and  I  will 


74  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

get  them  before  it  is  over.  My  arm  wasn't  feel- 
ing good  Al  and  my  fast  ball  didn't  hop  like  it 
had  ought  to.  But  it  was  the  rotten  support  I 
got  that  beat  me.  That  lucky  stiff  Zimmerman 
was  the  only  guy  that  got  a  real  hit  off  of  me 
and  he  must  of  shut  his  eyes  and  throwed  his  bat 
because  the  ball  he  hit  was  a  foot  over  his  head. 
And  if  they  hadn't  been  makeing  all  them  errors 
behind  me  they  wouldn't  of  been  nobody  on  bases 
when  Zimmerman  got  that  lucky  scratch.  The 
serious  now  stands  one  and  one  Al  and  it  is  a 
cinch  we  will  beat  them  even  if  they  are  a  bunch 
of  lucky  stiffs.  They  has  been  great  big  crowds 
at  both  games  and  it  looks  like  as  if  we  should 
ought  to  get  over  eight  hundred  dollars  a  peace 
if  we  win  and  we  will  win  sure  because  I  will  beat 
them  three  straight  if  necessary. 

But  Al  I  have  got  bigger  news  than  that  for 
you  and  I  am  the  happy est  man  in  the  world.  I 
told  you  I  had  not  heard  from  Hazel  for  a  long 
time.  To-night  when  I  got  back  to  my  room  they 
was  a  letter  waiting  for  me  from  her. 

Al  she  is  married.  Maybe  you  don't  know  why 
that  makes  me  happy  but  I  will  tell  you.  She  is 
married  to  Kid  Levy  the  middle  weight.  I  guess 
my  thirty  dollars  is  gone  because  in  her  letter  she 
called  me  a  cheap  skate  and  she  inclosed  one  one- 


THE  BUSHER  COMES  BACK       75 

cent  stamp  and  two  twos  and  said  she  was  paying 
me  for  the  glass  of  beer  I  once  bought  her.  I 
bought  her  more  than  that  Al  but  I  won't  make 
no  holler.  She  all  so  said  not  for  me  to  never 
come  near  her  or  her  husband  would  bust  my  jaw. 
I  ain't  afraid  of  him  or  no  one  else  Al  but  they 
ain't  no  danger  of  me  ever  bothering  them.  She 
was  no  good  and  I  was  sorry  the  minute  I  agreed 
to  marry  her. 

But  I  was  going  to  tell  you  why  I  am  happy 
or  maybe  you  can  guess.  Now  I  can  make  Violet 
my  wife  and  she's  got  Hazel  beat  forty  ways.  She 
ain't  nowheres  near  as  big  as  Hazel  but  she's  clas- 
sier Al  and  she  will  make  me  a  good  wife.  She 
ain't  never  asked  me  for  no  money. 

I  wrote  her  a  letter  the  minute  I  got  the  good 
news  and  told  her  to  come  on  over  here  at  once 
at  my  expense.  We  will  be  married  right  after 
the  serious  is  over  and  I  want  you  and  Bertha  to 
be  sure  and  stand  up  with  us.  I  will  wire  you  at 
my  own  expence  the  exact  date. 

It  all  seems  like  a  dream  now  about  Violet  and 
I  haveing  our  misunderstanding  Al  and  I  don't 
see  how  I  ever  could  of  accused  her  of  sending  me 
that  postcard.  You  and  Bertha  will  be  just  as 
crazy  about  her  as  I  am  when  you  see  her  Al.  Just 
think  Al  I  will  be  married  inside  of  a  week  and 


76  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

to  the  only  girl  I  ever  could  of  been  happy  with 
instead  of  the  woman  I  never  really  cared  for  ex- 
cept as  a  passing  fancy.  My  happyness  would 
be  complete  Al  if  I  had  not  of  let  that  woman 
steal  thirty  dollars  off  of  me. 

Your  happy  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  Hazel  probibly  would  of  insisted  on  us 
takeing  a  trip  to  Niagara  falls  or  somewheres  but 
I  know  Violet  will  be  perfectly  satisfied  if  I  take 
her  right  down  to  Bedford.  Oh  you  little  yellow 
house. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  9. 

FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  we  have  got  them  beat 
three  games  to  one  now  and  will  wind  up  the 
serious  to-morrow  sure.  Callahan  sent  me  in  to 
save  poor  Allen  yesterday  and  I  stopped  them 
dead.  But  I  don't  care  now  AL  I  have  lost  all 
interest  in  the  game  and  I  don't  care  if  Callahan 
pitches  me  to-morrow  or  not.  My  heart  is  just 
about  broke  Al  and  I  wouldn't  be  able  to  do  my- 
self justice  feeling  the  way  I  do. 

I  have  lost  Violet  Al  and  just  when  I  was  fig- 
ureing  on  being  the  happyest  man  in  the  world. 
We  will  get  the  big  money  but  it  won't  do  me 
no  good.  They  can  keep  my  share  because  I  won't 
have  no  little  girl  to  spend  it  on. 

Her  answer  to  my  letter  was  waiting  for  me  at 


THE  BUSHER  COMES  BACK        77 

home  to-night.  She  is  engaged  to  be  married  to 
Joe  Hill  the  big  lefthander  Jennings  got  from 
Providence.  Honest  Al  I  don't  see  how  he  gets 
by.  He  ain't  got  no  more  curve  ball  than  a  rab- 
bit and  his  fast  one  floats  up  there  like  a  big  bal- 
loon. He  beat  us  the  last  game  of  the  regular 
season  here  but  it  was  because  Callahan  had  a  lot 
of  bushers  in  the  game. 

I  wish  I  had  knew  then  that  he  was  stealing 
my  girl  and  I  would  of  made  Callahan  pitch  me 
against  him.  And  when  he  come  up  to  bat  I 
would  of  beaned  him.  But  I  don't  suppose  you 
could  hurt  him  by  hitting  him  in  the  head.  The 
big  stiff.  Their  wedding  ain't  going  to  come  off 
till  next  summer  and  by  that  time  he  will  be 
pitching  in  the  Southwestern  Texas  League  for 
about  fifty  dollars  a  month. 

Violet  wrote  that  she  wished  me  all  the  luck 
and  happyness  in  the  world  but  it  is  too  late  for 
me  to  be  happy  Al  and  I  don't  care  what  kind  of 
luck  I  have  now. 

Al  you  will  have  to  get  rid  of  that  lease  for 
me.  Fix  it  up  the  best  way  you  can.  Tell  the 
old  man  I  have  changed  my  plans.  I  don't  know 
just  yet  what  I  will  do  but  maybe  I  will  go  to 
Australia  with  Mike  Donlin's  team.  If  I  do  I 
won't  care  if  the  boat  goes  down  or  not.  I  don't 


78  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

believe  I  will  even  come  back  to  Bedford  this 
winter.  It  would  drive  me  wild  to  go  past  that 
little  house  every  day  and  think  how  happy  I 
might  of  been. 

Maybe  I  will  pitch  to-morrow  Al  and  if  I  do 
the  serious  will  be  over  to-morrow  night.  I  can 
beat  them  Cubs  if  I  get  any  kind  of  decent  sup- 
port. But  I  don't  care  now  Al. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  12. 

AL:  Your  letter  received.  If  the  old  man 
won't  call  it  off  I  guess  I  will  have  to  try  and 
rent  the  house  to  some  one  else.  Do  you  know 
of  any  couple  that  wants  one  Al?  It  looks  like 
I  would  have  to  come  down  there  myself  and  fix 
things  up  someway.  He  is  just  mean  enough  to 
stick  me  with  the  house  on  my  hands  when  I  won't 
have  no  use  for  it. 

They  beat  us  the  day  before  yesterday  as  you 
probibly  know  and  it  rained  yesterday  and  to-day. 
The  papers  says  it  will  be  all  O.  K.  to-morrow 
and  Callahan  tells  me  I  am  going  to  work.  The 
Cub  pitchers  was  all  shot  to  peaces  and  the  bad 
weather  is  just  nuts  for  them  because  it  will  give 
Cheney  a  good  rest.  But  I  will  beat  him  Al  if 
they  don't  kick  it  away  behind  me. 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        79 

I  must  close  because  I  promised  Allen  the  little 
lefthander  that  I  would  come  over  to  his  flat  and 
play  cards  a  while  to-night  and  I  must  wash  up 
and  change  my  collar.  Allen's  wife's  sister  is  vis- 
iting them  again  and  I  would  give  anything  not 
to  have  to  go  over  there.  I  am  through  with  girls 
and  don't  want  nothing  to  do  with  them. 

I  guess  it  is  maybe  a  good  thing  it  rained  to-day 
because  I  dreamt  about  Violet  last  night  and  went 
out  and  got  a  couple  of  high  balls  Before  break- 
fast this  morning.  I  hadn't  never  drank  nothing 
before  breakfast  before  and  it  made  me  kind  of 
sick.  But  I  am  all  O.  K.  now. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  13. 
DEAR  OLD  AL:  The  serious  is  all  over  Al. 
We  are  the  champions  and  I  done  it.  I  may  be 
home  the  day  after  to-morrow  or  I  may  not  come 
for  a  couple  of  days.  I  want  to  see  Comiskey 
before  I  leave  and  fix  up  about  my  contract  for 
next  year.  I  won't  sign  for  no  less  than  five  thou- 
sand and  if  he  hands  me  a  contract  for  less  than 
that  I  will  leave  the  White  Sox  flat  on  their  back. 
I  have  got  over  fourteen  hundred  dollars  now  Al 
with  the  city  serious  money  which  was  $814.30 
and  I  don't  have  to  worry. 


8o  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Them  reporters  will  have  to  give  me  a  square 
deal  this  time  AL  I  had  everything  and  the  Cubs 
done  well  to  score  a  run.  I  whiffed  Zimmerman 
three  times.  Some  of  the  boys  say  he  ain't  no 
hitter  but  he  is  a  hitter  and  a  good  one  Al  only 
he  could  not  touch  the  stuff  I  got.  The  umps 
give  them  their  run  because  in  the  fourth  inning 
I  had  Leach  flatfooted  off  of  second  base  and 
Weaver  tagged  him  O.  K.  but  the  umps  wouldn't 
call  it.  Then  Schulte  the  lucky  stiff  happened 
to  get  a  hold  of  one  and  pulled  it  past  first  base. 
I  guess  Chase  must  of  been  asleep.  Anyway  they 
scored  but  I  don't  care  because  we  piled  up  six 
runs  on  Cheney  and  I  drove  in  one  of  them  my- 
self with  one  of  the  prettiest  singles  you  ever 
see.  It  was  a  spitter  and  I  hit  it  like  a  shot.  If 
I  had  hit  it  square  it  would  of  went  out  of  the 
park. 

Comiskey  ought  to  feel  pretty  good  about  me 
winning  and  I  guess  he  will  give  me  a  contract 
for  anything  I  want.  He  will  have  to  or  I  will 
go  to  the  Federal  League. 

We  are  all  invited  to  a  show  to-night  and  I 
am  going  with  Allen  and  his  wife  and  her  sister 
Florence.  She  is  O.  K.  Al  and  I  guess  she  thinks 
the  same  about  me.  She  must  because  she  was 
out  to  the  game  to-day  and  seen  me  hand  it  to 


THE  BUSKER  COMES  BACK        81 

them.  She  maybe  ain't  as  pretty  as  Violet  and 
Hazel  but  as  they  say  beauty  isn't  only  so  deep. 
Well  Al  tell  the  boys  I  will  be  with  them  soon. 
I  have  gave  up  the  idea  of  going  to  Australia  be- 
cause I  would  have  to  buy  a  evening  full-dress 
suit  and  they  tell  me  they  cost  pretty  near  fifty 
dollars.  Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  14. 

FRIEND  AL  :  Never  mind  about  that  lease.  I 
want  the  house  after  all  Al  and  I  have  got  the 
supprise  of  your  life  for  you. 

When  I  come  home  to  Bedford  I  will  bring 
my  wife  with  me.  I  and  Florence  fixed  things 
all  up  after  the  show  last  night  and  we  are  going 
to  be  married  to-morrow  morning.  I  am  a  busy 
man  to-day  Al  because  I  have  got  to  get  the  license 
and  look  round  for  furniture.  And  I  have  also 
got  to  buy  some  new  cloths  but  they  are  haveing 
a  sale  on  Cottage  Grove  Avenue  at  Clark's  store 
and  I  know  one  of  the  clerks  there. 

I  am  the  happyest  man  in  the  world  Al.  You 
and  Bertha  and  I  and  Florence  will  have  all  kinds 
of  good  times  together  this  winter  because  I  know 
Bertha  and  Florence  will  like  each  other.  Flor- 
ence looks  something  like  Bertha  at  that.  I  am 
glad  I  didn't  get  tied  up  with  Violet  or  Hazel 


82  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

even  if  they  was  a  little  bit  prettier  than  Florence. 

Florence  knows  a  lot  about  baseball  for  a  girl 
and  you  would  be  supprised  to  hear  her  talk.  She 
says  I  am  the  best  pitcher  in  the  league  and  she 
has  saw  them  all.  She  all  so  says  I  am  the  best 
looking  ball  player  she  ever  seen  but  you  know 
how  girls  will  kid  a  guy  Al.  You  will  like  her 
O.  K.  I  fell  for  her  the  first  time  I  seen  her. 

Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  I  signed  up  for  next  year.  Comiskey 
slapped  me  on  the  back  when  I  went  in  to  see  him 
and  told  me  I  would  be  a  star  next  year  if  I  took 
good  care  of  myself.  I  guess  I  am  a  star  without 
waiting  for  next  year  Al.  My  contract  calls  for 
twenty-eight  hundred  a  year  which  is  a  thousand 
more  than  I  was  getting.  And  it  is  pretty  near 
a  cinch  that  I  will  be  in  on  the  World  Serious 
money  next  season. 

P.  S.  I  certainly  am  relieved  about  that  lease. 
It  would  of  been  fierce  to  of  had  that  place  on 
my  hands  all  winter  and  not  getting  any  use  out 
of  it.  Everything  is  all  O.  K.  now.  Oh  you  little 
yellow  house. 


CHAPTER  III 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON 


Chicago,  Illinois,  October  77. 

FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  it  looks  as  if  I  would 
not  be  writeing  so  much  to  you  now  that  I 
am  a  married,  man.  Yes  Al  I  and  Florrie  was 
married  the  day  before  yesterday  just  like  I  told 
you  we  was  going  to  be  and  Al  I  am  the  happyest 
man  in  the  world  though  I  have  spent  $30  in  the 
last  3  days  incluseive.  You  was  wise  Al  to  get 
married  in  Bedford  where  not  nothing  is  nearly 
half  so  dear.  My  expenses  was  as  follows: 

License $  2.00 

Preist            .......  3.50 

Haircut  and  shave          .....  .35 

Shine              .05 

Carfair          .......  .45 

New  suit 14.50 

Show  tickets          ......  3.00 

Flowers .50 

Candy .30 

Hotel 4.50 

Tobacco  both  kinds .25 

83 


84  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

You  see  Al  it  costs  a  hole  lot  of  money  to  get 
married  here.  The  sum  of  what  I  have  wrote 
down  is  $29.40  but  as  I  told  you  I  have  spent  $30 
and  I  do  not  know  what  I  have  did  with  that 
other  $0.60.  My  new  brother-in-law  Allen  told 
me  I  should  ought  to  give  the  preist  $5  and  I 
thought  it  should  be  about  $2  the  same  as  the 
license  so  I  split  the  difference  and  give  him  $3.50. 
I  never  seen  him  before  and  probily  won't  never 
see  him  again  so  why  should  I  give  him  anything 
at  all  when  it  is  his  business  to  marry  couples? 
But  I  like  to  do  the  right  thing.  You  know  me 
Al. 

I  thought  we  would  be  in  Bedford  by  this 
time  but  Florrie  wants  to  say  here  a  few  more 
days  because  she  says  she  wants  to  be  with  her 
sister.  Allen  and  his  wife  is  thinking  about  take- 
ing  a  flat  for  the  winter  instead  of  going  down 
to  Waco  Texas  where  they  live.  I  don't  see  no 
sense  in  that  when  it  costs  so  much  to  live  here 
but  it  is  none  of  my  business  if  they  want  to  throw 
their  money  away.  But  I  am  glad  I  got  a  wife 
with  some  sense  though  she  kicked  because  I  did 
not  get  no  room  with  a  bath  which  would  cost 
me  $2  a  day  instead  of  $1.50.  I  says  I  guess  the 
clubhouse  is  still  open  yet  and  if  I  want  a  bath 
I  can  go  over  there  and  take  the  shower.  She 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON      85 

says  Yes  and  I  suppose  I  can  go  and  jump  in  the 
lake.  But  she  would  not  do  that  Al  because  the 
lake  here  is  cold  at  this  time  of  the  year. 

When  I  told  you  about  my  expenses  I  did  not 
include  in  it  the  meals  because  we  would  be  eating 
them  if  I  was  getting  married  or  not  getting  mar- 
ried only  I  have  to  pay  for  six  meals  a  day  now 
instead  of  three  and  I  didn't  used  to  eat  no  lunch 
in  the  playing  season  except  once  in  a  while  when 
I  knowed  I  was  not  going  to  work  that  afternoon. 
I  had  a  meal  ticket  which  had  not  quite  ran  out 
over  to  a  resturunt  on  Indiana  Ave  and  we  eat 
there  for  the  first  day  except  at  night  when  I  took 
Allen  and  his  wife  to  the  show  with  us  and  then 
he  took  us  to  a  chop  suye  resturunt.  I  guess  you 
have  not  never  had  no  chop  suye  Al  and  I  am 
here  to  tell  you  you  have  not  missed  nothing  but 
when  Allen  was  going  to  buy  the  supper  what 
could  I  say  ?  I  could  not  say  nothing. 

Well  yesterday  and  to-day  we  been  eating  at  a 
resturunt  on  Cottage  Grove  Ave  near  the  hotel 
and  at  the  resturunt  on  Indiana  that  I  had  the 
meal  ticket  at  only  I  do  not  like  to  buy  no  new 
meal  ticket  when  I  am  not  going  to  be  round  here 
no  more  than  a  few  days.  Well  Al  I  guess  the 
meals  has  cost  me  all  together  about  $1.50  and  I 
have  eat  very  little  myself.  Florrie  always  wants 


86  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

desert  ice  cream  or  something  and  that  runs  up 
into  money  faster  than  regular  stuff  like  stake  and 
ham  and  eggs. 

Well  Al  Florrie  says  it  is  time  for  me  to  keep 
my  promise  and  take  her  to  the  moveing  pictures 
which  is  $0.20  more  because  the  one  she  likes 
round  here  costs  a  dime  apeace.  So  I  must  close 
for  this  time  and  will  see  you  soon. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  22. 

AL  :  Just  a  note  Al  to  tell  you  why  I  have  not 
yet  came  to  Bedford  yet  where  I  expected  I  would 
be  long  before  this  time.  Allen  and  his  wife  have 
took  a  furnished  flat  for  the  winter  and  Allen's 
wife  wants  Florrie  to  stay  here  untill  they  get 
settled.  Meentime  it  is  costing  me  a  hole  lot  of 
money  at  the  hotel  and  for  meals  besides  I  am 
paying  $10  a  month  rent  for  the  house  you  got 
for  me  and  what  good  am  I  getting  out  of  it  ?  But 
Florrie  wants  to  help  her  sister  and  what  can  I 
say?  Though  I  did  make  her  promise  she  would 
not  stay  no  longer  than  next  Saturday  at  least. 
So  I  guess  Al  we  will  be  home  on  the  evening  train 
Saturday  and  then  may  be  I  can  save  some  money. 

I  know  Al  that  you  and  Bertha  will  like  Florrie 
when  you  get  acquainted  with  her  spesially  Bertha 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON      87 

though  Florrie  dresses  pretty  swell  and  spends  a 
hole  lot  of  time  fusing  with  her  face  and  her  hair. 

She  says  to  me  to-night  Who  are  you  writeing 
to  and  I  told  her  Al  Blanchard  who  I  have  told 
you  about  a  good  many  times.  She  says  I  bet  you 
are  writeing  to  some  girl  and  acted  like  as  though 
she  was  kind  of  jealous.  So  I  thought  I  would 
tease  her  a  little  and  I  says  I  don't  know  no  girls 
except  you  and  Violet  and  Hazel.  Who  is  Violet 
and  Hazel  ?  she  says.  I  kind  of  laughed  and  says 
Oh  I  guess  I  better  not  tell  you  and  then  she  says 
I  guess  you  will  tell  me.  That  made  me  kind  of 
mad  because  no  girl  can't  tell  me  what  to  do.  She 
says  Are  you  going  to  tell  me?  and  I  says  No. 

Then  she  says  If  you  don't  tell  me  I  will  go 
over  to  Marie's  that  is  her  sister  Allen's  wife  and 
stay  all  night.  I  says  Go  on  and  she  went  down- 
stairs but  I  guess  she  probily  went  to  get  a  soda 
because  she  has  some  money  of  her  own  that  I 
give  her.  This  was  about  two  hours  ago  and  she 
is  probily  down  in  the  hotel  lobby  now  trying  to 
scare  me  by  makeing  me  believe  she  has  went  to 
her  sister's.  But  she  can't  fool  me  Al  and  I  am 
now  going  out  to  mail  this  letter  and  get  a  beer. 
I  won't  never  tell  her  about  Violet  and  Hazel  if 
she  is  going  to  act  like  that. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 


88  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  24. 

FRIEND  AL:  I  guess  I  told  you  Al  that  we 
would  be  home  Saturday  evening.  I  have  changed 
my  mind.  Allen  and  his  wife  has  a  spair  bed- 
room and  wants  us  to  come  there  and  stay  a  week 
or  two.  It  won't  cost  nothing  except  they  will 
probily  want  to  go  out  to  the  moveing  pictures 
nights  and  we  will  probily  have  to  go  along  with 
them  and  I  am  a  man  Al  that  wants  to  pay  his 
share  and  not  be  cheap. 

I  and  Florrie  had  our  first  quarrle  the  other 
night.  I  guess  I  told  you  the  start  of  it  but  I 
don't  remember.  I  made  some  crack  about  Violet 
and  Hazel  just  to  tease  Florrie  and  she  wanted 
to  know  who  they  was  and  I  would  not  tell  her. 
So  she  gets  sore  and  goes  over  to  Marie's  to  stay 
all  night.  I  was  just  kidding  Al  and  was  willing 
to  tell  her  about  them  two  poor  girls  whatever 
she  wanted  to  know  except  that  I  don't  like  to 
brag  about  girls  being  stuck  on  me.  So  I  goes 
over  to  Marie's  after  her  and  tells  her  all  about 
them  except  that  I  turned  them  down  cold  at  the 
last  minute  to  marry  her  because  I  did  not  want 
her  to  get  all  swelled  up.  She  made  me  sware 
that  I  did  not  never  care  nothing  about  them  and 
that  was  easy  because  it  was  the  truth.  So  she 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON      89 

come  back  to  the  hotel  with  me  just  like  I  knowed 
she  would  when  I  ordered  her  to. 

They  must  not  be  no  mistake  about  who  is  the 
boss  in  my  house.  Some  men  lets  their  wife  run 
all  over  them  but  I  am  not  that  kind.  You  know 
me  Al. 

I  must  get  busy  and  pack  my  suitcase  if  I  am 
going  to  move  over  to  Allen's.  I  sent  three  col- 
lars and  a  shirt  to  the  laundrey  this  morning  so 
even  if  we  go  over  there  to-night  I  will  have  to 
take  another  trip  back  this  way  in  a  day  or  two. 
I  won't  mind  Al  because  they  sell  my  kind  of  beer 
down  to  the  corner  and  I  never  seen  it  sold  no- 
wheres  else  in  Chi.  You  know  the  kind  it  is, 
eh  Al*?  I  wish  I  was  lifting  a  few  with  you  to- 
night. Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  28. 
DEAR  OLD  AL:  Florrie  and  Marie  has  went 
downtown  shopping  because  Florrie  thinks  she  has 
got  to  have  a  new  dress  though  she  has  got  two 
changes  of  cloths  now  and  I  don't  know  what  she 
can  do  with  another  one.  I  hope  she  don't  find 
none  to  suit  her  though  it  would  not  hurt  none 
if  she  got  something  for  next  spring  at  a  reduck- 
shon.  I  guess  she  must  think  I  am  Charles  A. 
Comiskey  or  somebody.  Allen  has  went  to  a  col- 


90  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

ledge  football  game.  One  of  the  reporters  give 
him  a  pass.  I  don't  see  nothing  in  football  except 
a  lot  of  scrapping  between  little  slobs  that  I  could 
lick  the  whole  bunch  of  them  so  I  did  not  care  to 
go.  The  reporter  is  one  of  the  guys  that  travled 
round  with  our  club  all  summer.  He  called  up 
and  said  he  hadn't  only  the  one  pass  but  he  was 
not  hurting  my  feelings  none  because  I  would  not 
go  to  no  rotten  football  game  if  they  payed  me. 

The  flat  across  the  hall  from  this  here  one  is  for 
rent  furnished.  They  want  $40  a  month  for  it 
and  I  guess  they  think  they  must  be  lots  of  suckers 
running  round  loose.  Marie  was  talking  about 
it  and  says  Why  don't  you  and  Florrie  take  it  and 
then  we  can  be  right  together  all  winter  long  and 
have  some  big  times?  Florrie  says  It  would  be 
all  right  with  me.  What  about  it  Jack?  I  says 
What  do  you  think  I  am?  I  don't  have  to  live 
in  no  high  price  flat  when  I  got  a  home  in  Bedford 
where  they  ain't  no  people  trying  to  hold  every- 
body up  all  the  time.  So  they  did  not  say  no 
more  about  it  when  they  seen  I  was  in  ernest. 
Nobody  cannot  tell  me  where  I  am  going  to  live 
sister-in-law  or  no  sister-in-law.  If  I  was  to  rent 
the  rotten  old  flat  I  would  be  paying  $50  a  month 
rent  includeing  the  house  down  in  Bedford.  Fine 
chance  AL 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON      91 

Well  Al  I  am  lonesome  and  thirsty  so  more 
later.  Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  November  2. 

FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  I  got  some  big  news  for 
you.  I  am  not  comeing  to  Bedford  this  winter 
after  all  except  to  make  a  visit  which  I  guess  will 
be  round  Xmas.  I  changed  my  mind  about  that 
flat  across  the  hall  from  the  Aliens  and  decided 
to  take  it  after  all.  The  people  who  was  in  it  and 
owns  the  furniture  says  they  would  let  us  have 
it  till  the  i  of  May  if  we  would  pay  $42.50  a 
month  which  is  only  $2.50  a  month  more  than 
they  would  of  let  us  have  it  for  for  a  short  time. 
So  you  see  we  got  a  bargain  because  it  is  all  fur- 
nished and  everything  and  we  won't  have  to  blow 
no  money  on  furniture  besides  the  club  goes  to 
California  the  middle  of  Febuery  so  Florrie  would 
not  have  no  place  to  stay  while  I  am  away. 

The  Aliens  only  subleased  their  flat  from  some 
other  people  till  the  2  of  Febuery  and  when  I  and 
Allen  goes  West  Marie  can  come  over  and  stay 
with  Florrie  so  you  see  it  is  best  all  round.  If  we 
should  of  boughten  furniture  it  would  cost  us  in 
the  neighborhood  of  $100  even  without  no  piano 
and  they  is  a  piano  in  this  here  flat  which  makes 
it  nice  because  Florrie  plays  pretty  good  with  one 


92  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

hand  and  we  can  have  lots  of  good  times  at  home 
without  it  costing  us  nothing  except  just  the  bear 
liveing  expenses.  I  consider  myself  lucky  to  of 
found  out  about  this  before  it  was  too  late  and 
somebody  else  had  of  gotten  the  tip. 

Now  Al  old  pal  I  want  to  ask  a  great  favor  of 
you  Al.  I  all  ready  have  payed  one  month  rent 
$10  on  the  house  in  Bedford  and  I  want  you  to 
see  the  old  man  and  see  if  he  won't  call  off  that 
lease.  Why  should  I  be  paying  $10  a  month  rent 
down  there  and  $42.50  up  here  when  the  house 
down  there  is  not  no  good  to  me  because  I  am 
liveing  up  here  all  winter?  See  Al?  Tell  him 
I  will  gladly  give  him  another  month  rent  to  call 
off  the  lease  but  don't  tell  him  that  if  you  don't 
have  to.  I  want  to  be  fare  with  him. 

If  you  will  do  this  favor  for  me,  Al,  I  won't 
never  forget  it.  Give  my  kindest  to  Bertha  and 
tell  her  I  am  sorry  I  and  Florrie  won't  see  her 
right  away  but  you  see  how  it  is  Al. 

Yours,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  November  30. 

FRIEND  AL  :    I  have  not  wrote  for  a  long  time 

have  I  Al  but  I  have  been  very  busy.    They  was 

not  enough  furniture  in  the  flat  and  we  have  been 

buying  some  more.     They  was  enough  for  some 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON      93 

people  maybe  but  I  and  Florrie  is  the  kind  that 
won't  have  nothing  but  the  best.  The  furniture 
them  people  had  in  the  liveing  room  was  oak  but 
they  had  a  bookcase  bilt  in  in  the  flat  that  was 
mohoggeny  and  Florrie  would  not  stand  for  no 
joke  combination  like  that  so  she  moved  the  oak 
chairs  and  table  in  to  the  spair  bedroom  and  we 
went  downtown  to  buy  some  mohoggeny.  But  it 
costs  too  much  Al  and  we  was  feeling  pretty  bad 
about  it  when  we  seen  some  Sir  Cashion  walnut 
that  was  prettier  even  than  the  mohoggeny  and 
not  near  so  expensive.  It  is  not  no  real  Sir  Cashion 
walnut  but  it  is  just  as  good  and  we  got  it  reason- 
able. Then  we  got  some  mission  chairs  for  the 
dining  room  because  the  old  ones  was  just  straw 
and  was  no  good  and  we  got  a  big  lether  couch  for 
$9  that  somebody  can  sleep  on  if  we  get  to  much 
company. 

I  hope  you  and  Bertha  can  come  up  for  the  holi- 
days and  see  how  comfertible  we  are  fixed.  That 
is  all  the  new  furniture  we  have  boughten  but 
Florrie  set  her  heart  on  some  old  Rose  drapes  and 
a  red  table  lamp  that  is  the  biggest  you  ever  seen 
Al  and  I  did  not  have  the  heart  to  say  no.  The 
hole  thing  cost  me  in  the  neighborhood  of  $110 
which  is  very  little  for  what  we  got  and  then  it 
will  always  be  ourn  even  when  we  move  away 


94  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

from  this  flat  though  we  will  have  to  leave  the 
furniture  that  belongs  to  the  other  people  but  their 
part  of  it  is  not  no  good  anyway. 

I  guess  I  told  you  Al  how  much  money  I  had 
when  the  season  ended.  It  was  $1400  all  told 
includeing  the  city  serious  money.  Well  Al  I  got 
in  the  neighborhood  of  $800  left  because  I  give 
$200  to  Florrie  to  send  down  to  Texas  to  her 
other  sister  who  had  a  bad  egg  for  a  husband  that 
managed  a  club  in  the  Texas  Oklahoma  League 
and  this  was  the  money  she  had  to  pay  to  get  the 
divorce.  I  am  glad  Al  that  I  was  lucky  enough 
to  marry  happy  and  get  a  good  girl  for  my  wife 
that  has  got  some  sense  and  besides  if  I  have  got 
$800  left  I  should  not  worry  as  they  say. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  December  7. 
DEAR  OLD  AL  :  No  I  was  in  ernest  Al  when  I 
says  that  I  wanted  you  and  Bertha  to  come  up 
here  for  the  holidays.  I  know  I  told  you  that  I 
might  come  to  Bedford  for  the  holidays  but  that 
is  all  off.  I  have  gave  up  the  idea  of  comeing  to 
Bedford  for  the  holidays  and  I  want  you  to  be 
sure  and  come  up  here  for  the  holidays  and  I  will 
show  you  a  good  time.  I  would  love  to  have 
Bertha  come  to  and  she  can  come  if  she  wants  to 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON      95 

only  Florrie  don't  know  if  she  would  have  a  good 
time  or  not  and  thinks  maybe  she  would  rather 
stay  in  Bedford  and  you  come  alone.  But  be  sure 
and  have  Bertha  come  if  she  wants  to  come  but 
maybe  she  would  not  injoy  it.  You  know  best  Al. 

I  don't  think  the  old  man  give  me  no  square  deal 
on  that  lease  but  if  he  wants  to  stick  me  all  right. 
I  am  grateful  to  you  Al  for  trying  to  fix  it  up  but 
maybe  you  could  of  did  better  if  you  had  of  went 
at  it  in  a  different  way.  I  am  not  finding  no  fault 
with  my  old  pal  though.  Don't  think  that.  When 
I  have  a  pal  I  am  the  man  to  stick  to  him  threw 
thick  and  thin.  If  the  old  man  is  going  to  hold 
me  to  that  lease  I  guess  I  will  have  to  stand  it  and 
I  guess  I  won't  starv  to  death  for  no  $10  a  month 
because  I  am  going  to  get  $2800  next  year  besides 
the  city  serious  money  and  maybe  we  will  get  into 
the  World  Serious  too.  I  know  we  will  if  Calla- 
han  will  pitch  me  every  3d  day  like  I  wanted  him 
to  last  season.  But  if  you  had  of  approached  the 
old  man  in  a  different  way  maybe  you  could  of 
fixed  it  up.  I  wish  you  would  try  it  again  Al  if 
it  is  not  no  trouble. 

We  had  Allen  and  his  wife  here  for  thanks- 
giveing  dinner  and  the  dinner  cost  me  better  than 
$5.  I  thought  we  had  enough  to  eat  to  last  a  week 
but  about  six  o'clock  at  night  Florrie  and  Marie 


96  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

said  they  was  hungry  and  we  went  downtown  and 
had  dinner  all  over  again  and  I  payed  for  it  and 
it  cost  me  $5  more.  Allen  was  all  ready  to  pay 
for  it  when  Florrie  said  No  this  day's  treat  is  on 
us  so  I  had  to  pay  for  it  but  I  don't  see  why  she 
did  not  wait  and  let  me  do  the  talking.  I  was 
going  to  pay  for  it  any  way. 

Be  sure  and  come  and  visit  us  for  the  holidays 
Al  and  of  coarse  if  Bertha  wants  to  come  bring 
her  along.  We  will  be  glad  to  see  you  both.  I 
won't  never  go  back  on  a  friend  and  pal.  You 
know  me  Al.  Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  December  20. 
FRIEND  AL  :  I  don't  see  what  can  be  the  mat- 
ter with  Bertha  because  you  know  Al  we  would 
not  care  how  she  dressed  and  would  not  make  no 
kick  if  she  come  up  here  in  a  night  gown.  She  did 
not  have  no  license  to  say  we  was  to  swell  for  her 
because  we  did  not  never  think  of  nothing  like 
that.  I  wish  you  would  talk  to  her  again  Al  and 
tell  her  she  need  not  get  sore  on  me  and  that  both 
her  and  you  is  welcome  at  my  house  any  time  I 
ask  you  to  come.  See  if  you  can't  make  her  change 
her  mind  Al  because  I  feel  like  as  if  she  must  of 
took  offense  at  something  I  may  of  wrote  you.  I 
am  sorry  you  and  her  are  not  comeing  but  I  sup- 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON      97 

pose  you  know  best.  Only  we  was  getting  all 
ready  for  you  and  Florrie  said  only  the  other  day 
that  she  wished  the  holidays  was  over  but  that  was 
before  she  knowed  you  was  not  comeing.  I  hope 
you  can  come  Al. 

Well  Al  I  guess  there  is  not  no  use  talking  to 
the  old  man  no  more.  You  have  did  the  best  you 
could  but  I  wish  I  could  of  came  down  there  and 
talked  to  him.  I  will  pay  him  his  rotten  old  $10 
a  month  and  the  next  time  I  come  to  Bedford  and 
meet  him  on  the  street  I  will  bust  his  jaw.  I  know 
he  is  a  old  man  Al  but  I  don't  like  to  see  nobody 
get  the  best  of  me  and  I  am  sorry  I  ever  asked  him 
to  let  me  off.  Some  of  them  old  skinflints  has  no 
heart  Al  but  why  should  I  fight  with  a  old  man 
over  chicken  feed  like  $10*?  Florrie  says  a  star 
pitcher  like  I  should  not  ought  never  to  scrap 
about  little  things  and  I  guess  she  is  right  Al  so  I 
will  pay  the  old  man  his  $10  a  month  if  I  have  to. 

Florrie  says  she  is  jealous  of  me  writeing  to  you 
so  much  and  she  says  she  would  like  to  meet  this 
great  old  pal  of  mine.  I  would  like  to  have  her 
meet  you  to  Al  and  I  would  like  to  have  you 
change  your  mind  and  come  and  visit  us  and  I  am 
sorry  you  can't  come  Al. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 


98  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Chicago,  Illinois,  December  27. 

OLD  PAL:  I  guess  all  these  lefthanders  is  alike 
though  I  thought  this  Allen  had  some  sense.  I 
thought  he  was  different  from  the  most  and  was 
not  no  rummy  but  they  are  all  alike  Al  and  they 
are  all  lucky  that  somebody  don't  hit  them  over 
the  head  with  a  ax  and  kill  them  but  I  guess  at 
that  you  could  not  hurt  no  lefthanders  by  hitting 
them  over  the  head.  We  was  all  down  on  State 
St.  the  day  before  Xmas  and  the  girls  was  all  tired 
out  and  ready  to  go  home  but  Allen  says  No  I 
guess  we  better  stick  down  a  while  because  now 
the  crowds  is  out  and  it  will  be  fun  to  watch  them. 
So  we  walked  up  and  down  State  St.  about  a 
hour  longer  and  finally  we  come  in  front  of  a  big 
jewlry  store  window  and  in  it  was  a  swell  dimond 
ring  that  was  marked  $100.  It  was  a  ladies'  ring 
so  Marie  says  to  Allen  Why  don't  you  buy  that 
for  me?  And  Allen  says  Do  you  really  want  it? 
And  she  says  she  did. 

So  we  tells  the  girls  to  wait  and  we  goes  over 
to  a  salloon  where  Allen  has  got  a  friend  and  gets 
a  check  cashed  and  we  come  back  and  he  bought 
the  ring.  Then  Florrie  looks  like  as  though  she 
was  getting  all  ready  to  cry  and  I  asked  her  what 
was  the  matter  and  she  says  I  had  not  boughten 
her  no  ring  not  even  when  we  was  engaged.  So 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON      99 

I  and  Allen  goes  back  to  the  salloon  and  I  gets  a 
check  cashed  and  we  come  back  and  bought  an- 
other ring  but  I  did  not  think  the  ring  Allen  had 
boughten  was  worth  no  $100  so  I  gets  one  for 
$75.  Now  Al  you  know  I  am  not  makeing  no 
kick  on  spending  a  little  money  for  a  present  for 
my  own  wife  but  I  had  allready  boughten  her  a 
rist  watch  for  $15  and  a  rist  watch  was  just  what 
she  had  wanted.  I  was  willing  to  give  her  the 
ring  if  she  had  not  of  wanted  the  rist  watch  more 
than  the  ring  but  when  I  give  her  the  ring  I  kept 
the  rist  watch  and  did  not  tell  her  nothing  about  it. 

Well  I  come  downtown  alone  the  day  after 
Xmas  and  they  would  not  take  the  rist  watch  back 
in  the  store  where  I  got  it.  So  I  am  going  to  give 
it  to  her  for  a  New  Year's  present  and  I  guess 
that  will  make  Allen  feel  like  a  dirty  doose.  But 
I  guess  you  cannot  hurt  no  lefthander's  feelings 
at  that.  They  are  all  alike.  But  Allen  has  not 
got  nothing  but  a  dinky  curve  ball  and  a  fast  ball 
that  looks  like  my  slow  one.  If  Comiskey  was 
not  good  hearted  he  would  of  sold  him  long  ago. 

I  sent  you  and  Bertha  a  cut  glass  dish  Al  which 
was  the  best  I  could  get  for  the  money  and  it  was 
pretty  high  pricet  at  that.  We  was  glad  to  get 
the  pretty  pincushions  from  you  and  Bertha  and 
Florrie  says  to  tell  you  that  we  are  well  supplied 


ioo  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

with  pincushions  now  because  the  ones  you  sent 
makes  a  even  half  dozen.  Thanks  Al  for  remem- 
bering us  and  thank  Bertha  too  though  I  guess  you 
paid  for  them.  Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Januery  3. 

OLD  PAL  :  Al  I  been  pretty  sick  ever  since  New 
Year's  eve.  We  had  a  table  at  l  of  the  swell 
resturunts  downtown  and  I  never  seen  so  much 
wine  drank  in  my  life.  I  would  rather  of  had 
beer  but  they  would  not  sell  us  none  so  I  found 
out  that  they  was  a  certain  kind  that  you  can  get 
for  $1  a  bottle  and  it  is  just  as  good  as  the  kind 
that  has  got  all  them  fancy  names  but  this  left- 
hander starts  ordering  some  other  kind  about  1 1 
oclock  and  it  was  $5  a  bottle  and  the  girls  both 
says  they  liked  it  better.  I  could  not  see  a  hole 
lot  of  difference  myself  and  I  would  of  gave  $0.20 
for  a  big  stine  of  my  kind  of  beer.  You  know 
me  Al.  Well  Al  you  know  they  is  not  nobody 
that  can  drink  .more  than  your  old  pal  and  I  was 
all  O.  K.  at  one  oclock  but  I  seen  the  girls  was 
getting  kind  of  sleepy  so  I  says  we  better  go  home. 

Then  Marie  says  Oh,  shut  up  and  don't  be  no 
quiter.  I  says  You  better  shut  up  yourself  and 
not  be  telling  me  to  shut  up,  and  she  says  What 
will  you  do  if  I  don't  shut  up?  And  I  says  I 


THE  BUSHER'S  HONEYMOON     101 

would  bust  her  in  the  jaw.  But  you  know  Al  I 
would  not  think  of  busting  no  girl.  Then  Florrie 
says  You  better  not  start  nothing  because  you  had 
to  much  to  drink  or  you  would  not  be  talking 
about  busting  girls  in  the  jaw.  Then  I  says  I 
don't  care  if  it  is  a  girl  I  bust  or  a  lefthander. 
I  did  not  mean  nothing  at  all  Al  but  Marie  says 
I  had  insulted  Allen  and  he  gets  up  and  slaps  my 
face.  Well  Al  I  am  not  going  to  stand  that  from 
nobody  not  even  if  he  is  my  brother-in-law  and 
a  lefthander  that  has  not  got  enough  speed  to 
brake  a  pain  of  glass. 

So  I  give  him  a  good  beating  and  the  waiters 
butts  in  and  puts  us  all  out  for  fighting  and  I 
and  Florrie  comes  home  in  a  taxi  and  Allen  and 
his  wife  don't  get  in  till  about  5  oclock  so  I  guess 
she  must  of  had  to  of  took  him  to  a  doctor  to  get 
fixed  up.  I  been  in  bed  ever  since  till  just  this 
morning  kind  of  sick  to  my  stumach.  I  guess  I 
must  of  eat  something  that  did  not  agree  with  me. 
Allen  come  over  after  breakfast  this  morning  and 
asked  me  was  I  all  right  so  I  guess  he  is  not  sore 
over  the  beating  I  give  him  or  else  he  wants  to 
make  friends  because  he  has  saw  that  I  am  a  bad 
guy  to  monkey  with. 

Florrie  tells  me  a  little  while  ago  that  she  paid 
the  hole  bill  at  the  resturunt  with  my  money  be- 


102  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

cause  Allen  was  broke  so  you  see  what  kind  of  a 
cheap  skate  he  is  Al  and  some  day  I  am  going  to 
bust  his  jaw.  She  won't  tell  me  how  much  the 
bill  was  and  I  won't  ask  her  to  no  more  because 
we  had  a  good  time  outside  of  the  fight  and  what 
do  I  care  if  we  spent  a  little  money? 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Januery  20. 

FRIEND  AL:  Allen  and  his  wife  have  gave  up 
the  flat  across  the  hall  from  us  and  come  over 
to  live  with  us  because  we  got  a  spair  bedroom 
and  why  should  they  not  have  the  bennifit  of  it? 
But  it  is  pretty  hard  for  the  girls  to  have  to  cook 
and  do  the  work  when  they  is  four  of  us  so  I 
have  a  hired  girl  who  does  it  all  for  $7  a  week. 
It  is  great  stuff  Al  because  now  we  can  go  round 
as  we  please  and  don't  have  to  wait  for  no  dishes 
to  be  washed  or  nothing.  We  generally  almost 
always  has  dinner  downtown  in  the  evening  so 
it  is  pretty  soft  for  the  girl  too.  She  don't  gen- 
erally have  no  more  than  one  meal  to  get  because 
we  generally  run  round  downtown  till  late  and 
don't  get  up  till  about  noon. 

That  sounds  funny  don't  it  Al,  when  I  used  to 
get  up  at  5  every  morning  down  home.  Well  Al 
I  can  tell  you  something  else  that  may  sound 


THE  RUSHER'S  HONEYMOON     103 

funny  and  that  is  that  I  lost  my  taste  for  beer. 
I  don't  seem  to  care  for  it  no  more  and  I  found 
I  can  stand  allmost  as  many  drinks  of  other  stuff 
as  I  could  of  beer.  I  guess  Al  they  is  not  nobody 
ever  lived  can  drink  more  and  stand  up  better 
under  it  than  me.  I  make  the  girls  and  Allen 
quit  every  night. 

I  only  got  just  time  to  write  you  this  short  note 
because  Florrie  and  Marie  is  giving  a  big  party 
to-night  and  I  and  Allen  have  got  to  beat  it  out 
of  the  house  and  stay  out  of  the  way  till  they  get 
things  ready.  It  is  Marie's  berthday  and  she  says 
she  is  22  but  say  Al  if  she  is  22  Kid  Gleason  is 
30.  Well  Al  the  girls  says  we  must  blow  so  I 
will  run  out  and  mail  this  letter. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Januery  jf. 
AL:  Allen  is  going  to  take  Marie  with  him 
on  the  training  trip  to  California  and  of  course 
Florrie  has  been  at  me  to  take  her  along.  I  told 
her  postivly  that  she  can't  go.  I  can't  afford  no 
stunt  like  that  but  still  I  am  up  against  it  to  know 
what  to  do  with  her  while  we  are  on  the  trip  be- 
cause Marie  won't  be  here  to  stay  with  her.  I 
don't  like  to  leave  her  here  all  alone  but  they  is 
nothing  to  it  Al  I  can't  afford  to  take  her  along. 


104  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

She  says  I  don't  see  why  you  can't  take  me  if 
Allen  takes  Marie.  And  I  says  That  stuff  is  all 
O.  K.  for  Allen  because  him  and  Marie  has  been 
grafting  off  of  us  all  winter.  And  then  she  gets 
mad  and  tells  me  I  should  not  ought  to  say  her 
sister  was  no  grafter.  I  did  not  mean  nothing 
like  that  Al  but  you  don't  never  know  when  a 
woman  is  going  to  take  offense. 

If  our  furniture  was  down  in  Bedford  every- 
thing would  be  all  O.  K.  because  I  could  leave  her 
there  and  I  would  feel  all  O.  K.  because  I  would 
know  that  you  and  Bertha  would  see  that  she  was 
getting  along  O.  K.  But  they  would  not  be  no 
sense  in  sending  her  down  to  a  house  that  has  not 
no  furniture  in  it.  I  wish  I  knowed  somewheres 
where  she  could  visit  Al.  I  would  be  willing  to 
pay  her  bord  even. 

Well  Al  enough  for  this  time. 

Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Febuery  4. 
FRIEND  AL:  You  are  a  real  old  pal  Al  and 
I  certainly  am  greatful  to  you  for  the  invatation. 
I  have  not  told  Florrie  about  it  yet  but  I  am  sure 
she  will  be  tickled  to  death  and  it  is  certainly 
kind  of  you  old  pal.  I  did  not  never  dream  of 
nothing  like  that.  I  note  what  you  say  Al  about 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON    105 

not  excepting  no  bord  but  I  think  it  would  be 
better  and  I  would  feel  better  if  you  would  take 
something  say  about  $2  a  week. 

I  know  Bertha  will  like  Florrie  and  that  they 
will  get  along  O.  K.  together  because  Florrie  can 
learn  her  how  to  make  her  cloths  look  good  and 
fix  her  hair  and  fix  up  her  face.  I  feel  like  as  if 
you  had  took  a  big  load  off  of  me  Al  and  I  won't 
never  forget  it. 

If  you  don't  think  I  should  pay  no  bord  for 
Florrie  all  right.  Suit  yourself  about  that  old 
pal. 

We  are  leaveing  here  the  20  of  Febuery  and  if 
you  don't  mind  I  will  bring  Florrie  down  to  you 
about  the  18.  I  would  like  to  see  the  old  bunch 
again  and  spesially  you  and  Bertha. 

Yours,  JACK. 

P.  S.  We  will  only  be  away  till  April  14  and 
that  is  just  a  nice  visit.  I  wish  we  did  not  have 
no  flat  on  our  hands. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Febuery  9. 
OLD  PAL:  I  want  to  thank  you  for  asking; 
Florrie  to  come  down  there  and  visit  you  Al  but 
I  find  she  can't  get  away.  I  did  not  know  she 
had  no  engagements  but  she  says  she  may  go 
down  to  her  folks  in  Texas  and  she  don't  want 


io6  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

to  say  that  she  will  come  to  visit  you  when  it  is 
so  indefanate.  So  thank  you  just  the  same  Al 
and  thank  Bertha  too. 

Florrie  is  still  at  me  to  take  her  along  to  Cali- 
fornia but  honest  Al  I  can't  do  it.  I  am  right 
down  to  my  last  $50  and  I  have  not  payed  no 
rent  for  this  month.  I  owe  the  hired  girl  2  weeks' 
salery  and  both  I  and  Florrie  needs  some  new 
cloths. 

Florrie  has  just  came  in  since  I  started  write- 
ing  this  letter  and  we  have  been  talking  some 
more  about  California  and  she  says  maybe  if  I 
would  ask  Comiskey  he  would  take  her  along  as 
the  club's  guest.  I  had  not  never  thought  of  that 
Al  and  maybe  he  would  because  he  is  a  pretty 
good  scout  and  I  guess  I  will  go  and  see  him 
about  it.  The  league  has  its  skedule  meeting  here 
to-morrow  and  may  be  I  can  see  him  down  to  the 
hotel  where  they  meet  at.  I  am  so  worried  Al 
that  I  can't  write  no  more  but  I  will  tell  you  how 
I  come  out  with  Comiskey. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Febuery  //. 
FRIEND  AL:    I  am  up  against  it  right  Al  and 
I  don't  know  where  I  am  going  to  head  in  at.    I 
went  down  to  the  hotel  where  the  league  was 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON     107 

holding  its  skedule  meeting  at  and  I  seen  Comis- 
key  and  got  some  money  off  of  the  club  but  I  owe 
all  the  money  I  got  off  of  them  and  I  am  still 
wondering  what  to  do  about  Florrie. 

Comiskey  was  busy  in  the  meeting  when  I  went 
down  there  and  they  was  not  no  chance  to  see 
him  for  a  while  so  I  and  Allen  and  some  of  the 
boys  hung  round  and  had  a  few  drinks  and 
fanned.  This  here  Joe  Hill  the  busher  that  De- 
troit has  got  that  Violet  is  hooked  up  to  was  round 
the  hotel.  I  don't  know  what  for  but  I  felt  like 
busting  his  jaw  only  the  boys  told  me  I  had  bet- 
ter not  do  nothing  because  I  might  kill  him  and 
any  way  he  probily  won't  be  in  the  league  much 
longer.  Well  finally  Comiskey  got  threw  the 
meeting  and  I  seen  him  and  he  says  Hello  young 
man  what  can  I  do  for  you?  And  I  says  I  would 
like  to  get  $100  advance  money.  He  says  Have 
you  been  takeing  care  of  yourself  down  in  Bed- 
ford? And  I  told  him  I  had  been  liveing  here 
all  winter  and  it  did  not  seem  to  make  no  hit  with 
him  though  I  don't  see  what  business  it  is  of  hisn 
where  I  live. 

So  I  says  I  had  been  takeing  good  care  of  my- 
self. And  I  have  Al.  You  know  that.  So  he 
says  I  should  come  to  the  ball  park  the  next  day 
which  is  to-day  and  he  would  have  the  secretary 


no8  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

take  care  of  me  but  I  says  I  could  not  wait  and 
so  he  give  me  $100  out  of  his  pocket  and  says  he 
would  have  it  charged  against  my  salery.  I  was 
just  going  to  brace  him  about  the  California  trip 
when  he  got  away  and  went  back  to  the  meeting. 

Well  Al  I  hung  round  with  the  bunch  waiting 
for  him  to  get  threw  again  and  we  had  some 
more  drinks  and  finally  Comiskey  was  threw  again 
and  I  braced  him  in  the  lobby  and  asked  him  if 
it  was  all  right  to  take  my  wife  along  to  Cali- 
fornia. He  says  Sure  they  would  be  glad  to  have 
her  along.  And  then  I  says  Would  the  club  pay 
her  fair?  He  says  I  guess  you  must  of  spent  that 
$100  buying  some  nerve.  He  says  Have  you  not 
got  no  sisters  that  would  like  to  go  along  to?  He 
says  Does  your  wife  insist  on  the  drawing  room 
or  will  she  take  a  lower  birth?  He  says  Is  my 
special  train  good  enough  for  her? 

Then  he  turns  away  from  me  and  I  guess  some 
of  the  boys  must  of  heard  the  stuff  he  pulled 
because  they  was  laughing  when  he  went  away 
but  I  did  not  see  nothing  to  laugh  at.  But  I  guess 
he  ment  that  I  would  have  to  pay  her  fair  if  she 
goes  along  and  that  is  out  of  the  question  Al.  I 
am  up  against  it  and  I  don't  know  where  I  am 
going  to  head  in  at.  Your  pal,  JACK. 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON     109 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Febuery  12. 

DEAR  OLD  AL  :  I  guess  everything  will  be  all 
O.  K.  now  at  least  I  am  hopeing  it  will.  When 
I  told  Florrie  about  how  I  come  out  with  Comis- 
key  she  bawled  her  head  off  and  I  thought  for 
a  while  I  was  going  to  have  to  call  a  doctor  or 
something  but  pretty  soon  she  cut  it  out  and  we 
sat  there  a  while  without  saying  nothing.  Then 
she  says  If  you  could  get  your  salery  razed  a 
couple  of  hundred  dollars  a  year  would  you  bor- 
row the  money  ahead  somewheres  and  take  me 
along  to  California^  I  says  Yes  I  would  if  I 
could  get  a  couple  hundred  dollars  more  salery 
but  how  could  I  do  that  when  I  had  signed  a 
contract  for  $2800  last  fall  allready?  She  says 
Don't  you  think  you  are  worth  more  than  $2800*? 
And  I  says  Yes  of  coarse  I  was  worth  more  than 
$2800.  She  says  Well  if  you  will  go  and  talk 
the  right  way  to  Comiskey  I  believe  he  will  give 
you  $3000  but  you  must  be  sure  you  go  at  it  the 
right  way  and  don't  go  and  ball  it  all  up. 

Well  we  argude  about  it  a  while  because  I 
don't  want  to  hold  nobody  up  Al  but  finally  I 
says  I  would.  It  would  not  be  holding  nobody 
up  anyway  because  I  am  worth  $3000  to  the  club 
if  I  am  worth  a  nichol.  The  papers  is  all  saying 
that  the  club  has  got  a  good  chance  to  win  the 


no  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

pennant  this  year  and  talking  about  the  pitching 
staff  and  I  guess  they  would  not  be  no  pitching 
staff  much  if  it  was  not  for  I  and  one  or  two 
others — about  one  other  I  guess. 

So  it, looks  like  as  if  everything  will  be  all 
O.  K.  now  Al.  I  am  going  to  the  office  over  to 
the  park  to  see  him  the  first  thing  in  the  morning 
and  I  am  pretty  sure  that  I  will  get  what  I  am 
after  because  if  I  do  not  he  will  see  that  I  am 
going  to  quit  and  then  he  will  see  what  he  is  up 
against  and  not  let  me  get  away. 

I  will  let  you  know  how  I  come  out. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Febuery  14. 

FRIEND  AL:  Al  old  pal  I  have  got  a  big  sup- 
prise  for  you.  I  am  going  to  the  Federal  League. 
I  had  a  run  in  with  Comiskey  yesterday  and  I 
guess  I  told  him  a  thing  or  2.  I  guess  he  would 
of  been  glad  to  sign  me  at  my  own  figure  before 
I  got  threw  but  I  was  so  mad  I  would  not  give 
him  no  chance  to  offer  me  another  contract. 

I  got  out  to  the  park  at  9  oclock  yesterday  morn- 
ing and  it  was  a  hour  before  he  showed  up  and 
then  he  kept  me  waiting  another  hour  so  I  was 
pretty  sore  when  I  finally  went  in  to  see  him.  He 
says  Well  young  man  what  can  I  do  for  you? 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON     111 

I  says  I  come  to  see  about  my  contract.  He  says 
Do  you  want  to  sign  up  for  next  year  all  ready*? 
I  says  No  I  am  talking  about  this  year.  He  says 
I  thought  I  and  you  talked  business  last  fall.  And 
I  says  *Yes  but  now  I  think  I  am  worth  more 
money  and  I  want  to  sign  a  contract  for  $3000. 
He  says  If  you  behave  yourself  and  work  good 
this  year  I  will  see  that  you  are  took  care  of.  But 
I  says  That  won't  do  because  I  have  got  to  be  sure 
I  am  going  to  get  $3000. 

Then  he  says  I  am  not  sure  you  are  going  to  get 
anything.  I  says  What  do  you  mean4?  And  he 
says  I  have  gave  you  a  very  fare  contract  and  if 
you  don't  want  to  live  up  to  it  that  is  your  own 
business.  So  I  give  him  a  awful  call  Al  and  told 
him  I  would  jump  to  the  Federal  League.  He 
says  Oh,  I  would  not  do  that  if  I  was  you.  They 
are  haveing  a  hard  enough  time  as  it  is.  So  I  says 
something  back  to  him  and  he  did  not  say  nothing 
to  me  and  I  beat  it  out  of  the  office. 

I  have  not  told  Florrie  about  the  Federal 
League  business  yet  as  I  am  going  to  give  her  a 
big  supprise.  I  bet  they  will  take  her  along  with 
me  on  the  training  trip  and  pay  her  fair  but  even 
if  they  don't  I  should  not  worry  because  I  will 
make  them  give  me  a  contract  for  $4000  a  year 


112  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

and  then  I  can  afford  to  take  her  with  me  on  all 
the  trips. 

I  will  go  down  and  see  Tinker  to-morrow  morn- 
ing and  I  will  write  you  to-morrow  night  Al  how 
much  salery  they  are  going  to  give  me.  But  I 
won't  sign  for  no  less  than  $4000.  You  know 
me  Al.  Yours,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Febuery  75. 

OLD  PAL:  It  is  pretty  near  midnight  Al  but 
I  been  to  bed  a  couple  of  times  and  I  can't  get 
no  sleep.  I  am  worried  to  death  Al  and  I  don't 
know  where  I  am  going  to  head  in  at.  Maybe 
I  will  go  out  and  buy  a  gun  Al  and  end  it  all  and 
I  guess  it  would  be  better  for  everybody.  But 
I  cannot  do  that  Al  because  I  have  not  got  the 
money  to  buy  a  gun  with. 

I  went  down  to  see  Tinker  about  signing  up 
with  the  Federal  League  and  he  was  busy  in  the 
office  when  I  come  in.  Pretty  soon  Buck  Perry 
the  pitcher  that  was  with  Boston  last  year  come 
out  and  seen  me  and  as  Tinker  was  still  busy  we 
went  out  and  had  a  drink  together.  Buck  shows 
me  a  contract  for  $5000  a  year  and  Tinker  had 
allso  gave  him  a  $500  bonus.  So  pretty  soon  I 
went  up  to  the  office  and  pretty  soon  Tinker  seen 
me  and  called  me  into  his  private  office  and  asked 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON     113 

what  did  I  want.  I  says  I  was  ready  to  jump 
for  $4000  and  a  bonus.  He  says  I  thought  you 
was  signed  up  with  the  White  Sox.  I  says  Yes  I 
was  but  I  was  not  satisfied.  He  says  That  does 
not  make  no  difference  to  me  if  you  are  satisfied 
or  not.  You  ought  to  of  came  to  me  before  you 
signed  a  contract.  I  says  I  did  not  know  enough 
but  I  know  better  now.  He  says  Well  it  is  to 
late  now.  We  cannot  have  nothing  to  do  with 
you  because  you  have  went  and  signed  a  contract 
with  the  White  Sox.  I  argude  with  him  a  while 
and  asked  him  to  come  out  and  have  a  drink  so 
we  could  talk  it  over  but  he  said  he  was  busy  so 
they  was  nothing  for  me  to  do  but  blow. 

So  I  am  not  going  to  the  Federal  League  Al  and 
I  will  not  go  with  the  White  Sox  because  I  have 
got  a  raw  deal.  Comiskey  will  be  sorry  for  what 
he  done  when  his  team  starts  the  season  and  is 
up  against  it  for  good  pitchers  and  then  he  will 
probily  be  willing  to  give  me  anything  I  ask  for 
but  that  don't  do  me  no  good  now  Al.  I  am  way 
in  debt  and  no  chance  to  get  no  money  from  no- 
body. I  wish  I  had  of  stayed  with  Terre  Haute 
Al  and  never  saw  this  league. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 


ii4  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Febuery  77. 

FRIEND  AL:  Al  don't  never  let  nobody  tell 
you  that  these  here  lefthanders  is  right.  This 
Allen  my  own  brother-in-law  who  married  sisters 
has  been  grafting  and  spongeing  on  me  all  winter 
Al.  Look  what  he  done  to  me  now  Al.  You 
know  how  hard  I  been  up  against  it  for  money 
and  I  know  he  has  got  plenty  of  it  because  I  seen 
it  on  him.  Well  Al  I  was  scared  to  tell  Florrie 
I  was  cleaned  out  and  so  I  went  to  Allen  yester- 
day and  says  I  had  to  have  $100  right  away  be- 
cause I  owed  the  rent  and  owed  the  hired  girl's 
salery  and  could  not  even  pay  no  grocery  bill. 
And  he  says  No  he  could  not  let  me  have  none 
because  he  has  got  to  save  all  his  money  to  take 
his  wife  on  the  trip  to  California.  And  here  he 
has  been  liveing  on  me  all  winter  and  maybe  I 
could  of  took  my  wife  to  California  if  I  had  not 
of  spent  all  my  money  takeing  care  of  this  no 
good  lefthander  and  his  wife.  And  Al  honest 
he  has  not  got  a  thing  and  ought  not  to  be  in  the 
league.  He  gets  by  with  a  dinky  curve  ball  and 
has  not  got  no  more  smoke  than  a  rabbit  or  some- 
thing. 

Well  Al  I  felt  like  busting  him  in  the  jaw  but 
then  I  thought  No  I  might  kill  him  and  then  I 
would  have  Marie  and  Florrie  both  to  take  care  of 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON     115 

and  God  knows  one  of  them  is  enough  besides  pay- 
ing his  funeral  expenses.  So  I  walked  away  from 
him  without  takeing  a  crack  at  him  and  went  into 
the  other  room  where  Florrie  and  Marie  was  at. 
I  says  to  Marie  I  says  Marie  I  wish  you  would  go 
in  the  other  room  a  minute  because  I  want  to  talk 
to  Florrie.  So  Marie  beats  it  into  the  other  room 
and  then  I  tells  Florrie  all  about  what  Comiskey 
and  the  Federal  League  done  to  me.  She  bawled 
something  awful  and  then  she  says  I  was  no  good 
and  she  wished  she  had  not  never  married  me. 
I  says  I  wisht  it  too  and  then  she  says  Do  you 
mean  that  and  starts  to  cry. 

I  told  her  I  was  sorry  I  says  that  because  they 
is  not  no  use  fusing  with  girls  Al  specially  when 
they  is  your  wife.  She  says  No  California  trip 
for  me  and  then  she  says  What  are  you  going 
to  do?  And  I  says  I  did  not  know.  She  says 
Well  if  I  was  a  man  I  would  do  something.  So 
then  I  got  mad  and  I  says  I  will  do  something. 
So  I  went  down  to  the  corner  salloon  and  started 
in  to  get  good  and  drunk  but  I  could  not  do  it 
Al  because  I  did  not  have  the  money. 

Well  old  pal  I  am  going  to  ask  you  a  big  favor 
and  it  is  this  I  want  you  to  send  me  $100  Al  for 
just  a  few  days  till  I  can  get  on  my  feet.  I  do 
not  know  when  I  can  pay  it  back  Al  but  I  guess 


n6  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

you  know  the  money  is  good  and  I  know  you  have 
got  it.  Who  would  not  have  it  when  they  live 
in  Bedford?  And  besides  I  let  you  take  $20  in 
June  4  years  ago  Al  and  you  give  i't  back  but  I 
would  not  have  said  nothing  to  you  if  you  had 
of  kept  it.  Let  me  hear  from  you  right  away 
old  pal.  Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Febuery  19. 

AL  :  I  am  certainly  greatful  to  you  Al  for  the 
$100  which  come  just  a  little  while  ago.  I  will 
pay  the  rent  with  it  and  part  of  the  grocery  bill 
and  I  guess  the  hired  girl  will  have  to  wait  a 
while  for  hern  but  she  is  sure  to  get  it  because 
I  don't  never  forget  my  debts.  I  have  changed 
my  mind  about  the  White  Sox  and  I  am  going 
to  go  on  the  trip  and  take  Florrie  along  because 
I  don't  think  it  would  not  be  right  to  leave  her 
here  alone  in  Chi  when  her  sister  and  all  of  us 
is  going. 

I  am  going  over  to  the  ball  park  and  up  in  the 
office  pretty  soon  to  see  about  it.  I  will  tell 
Comiskey  I  changed  my  mind  and  he  will  be  glad 
to  get  me  back  because  the  club  has  not  got  no 
chance  to  finish  nowheres  without  me.  But  I 
won't  go  on  no  trip  or  give  the  club  my  services 
without  them  giveing  me  some  more  advance 


THE  BUSKER'S  HONEYMOON     117 

money  so  as  I  can  take  Florrie  along  with  me  be- 
cause Al  I  would  not  go  without  her. 

Maybe  Comiskey  will  make  my  salery  $3000 
like  I  wanted  him  to  when  he  sees  I  am  willing 
to  be  a  good  fellow  and  go  along  with  him  and 
when  he  knows  that  the  Federal  League  would  of 
gladly  gave  me  $4000  if  I  had  not  of  signed  no 
contract  with  the  White  Sox. 

I  think  I  will  ask  him  for  $200  advance  money 
Al  and  if  I  get  it  may  be  I  can  send  part  of  your 
$100  back  to  you  but  I  know  you  cannot  be  in 
no  hurry  Al  though  you  says  you  wanted  it  back 
as  soon  as  possible.  You  could  not  be  very  hard 
up  Al  because  it  don't  cost  near  so  much  to  live 
in  Bedford  as  it  does  up  here. 

Anyway  I  will  let  you  know  how  I  come  out 
with  Comiskey  and  I  will  write  you  as  soon  as  I 
get  out  to  Paso  Robles  if  I  don't  get  no  time  to 
write  you  before  I  leave. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  I  have  took  good  care  of  myself  all  win- 
ter Al  and  I  guess  I  ought  to  have  a  great  season. 

P.  S.  Florrie  is  tickled  to  death  about  going 
along  and  her  and  I  will  have  some  time  together 
out  there  on  the  Coast  if  I  can  get  some  money 
somewheres. 


ii8  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Chicago,  Illinois,  Febuery  21. 

FRIEND  AL:  I  have  not  got  the  heart  to  write 
this  letter  to  you  Al.  I  am  up  here  in  my  $42.50 
a  month  flat  and  the  club  has  went  to  California 
and  Florrie  has  went  too.  I  am  flat  broke  Al  and 
all  I  am  asking  you  is  to  send  me  enough  money 
to  pay  my  fair  to  Bedford  and  they  and  all  their 
leagues  can  go  to  hell  Al. 

I  was  out  to  the  ball  park  early  yesterday  morn- 
ing and  some  of  the  boys  was  there  allready  fan- 
ning and  kidding  each  other.  They  tried  to  kid 
me  to  when  I  come  in  but  I  guess  I  give  them  as 
good  as  they  give  me.  I  was  not  in  no  mind  for 
kidding  Al  because  I  was  there  on  business  and  I 
wanted  to  see  Comiskey  and  get  it  done  with. 

Well  the  secretary  come  in  finally  and  I  went 
up  to  him  and  says  I  wanted  to  see  Comiskey 
right  away.  He  says  The  boss  was  busy  and  what 
did  I  want  to  see  him  about  and  I  says  I  wanted 
to  get  some  advance  money  because  I  was  going 
to  take  my  wife  on  the  trip.  He  says  This  would 
be  a  fine  time  to  be  telling  us  about  it  even  if  you 
was  going  on  the  trip. 

And  I  says  What  do  you  mean4?  And  he  says 
You  are  not  going  on  no  trip  with  us  because  we 
have  got  wavers  on  you  and  you  are  sold  to 
Milwaukee. 


THE  BUSHER'S  HONEYMOON     119 

Honest  Al  I  thought  he  was  kidding  at  first 
and  I  was  waiting  for  him  to  laugh  but  he  did 
not  laugh  and  finally  I  says  What  do  you  mean? 
And  he  says  Cannot  you  understand  no  English? 
You  are  sold  to  Milwaukee.  Then  I  says  I  want 
to  see  the  boss.  He  says  It  won't  do  you  no  good 
to  see  the  boss  and  he  is  to  busy  to  see  you.  I 
says  I  want  to  get  some  money.  And  he  says 
You  cannot  get  no  money  from  this  club  and  all 
you  get  is  your  fair  to  Milwaukee.  I  says  I  am 
not  going  to  no  Milwaukee  anyway  and  he  says 
I  should  not  worry  about  that.  Suit  yourself. 

Well  Al  I  told  some  of  the  boys  about  it  and 
they  was  pretty  sore  and  says  I  ought  to  bust 
the  secretary  in  the  jaw  and  I  was  going  to  do 
it  when  I  thought  No  I  better  not  because  he  is 
a  little  guy  and  I  might  kill  him. 

I  looked  all  over  for  Kid  Gleason  but  he  was 
not  nowheres  round  and  they  told  me  he  would 
not  get  into  town  till  late  in  the  afternoon.  If 
I  could  of  saw  him  Al  he  would  of  fixed  me  all  up. 
I  asked  3  or  4  of  the  boys  for  some  money  but 
they  says  they  was  all  broke. 

But  I  have  not  told  you  the  worst  of  it  yet  Al. 
When  I  come  back  to  the  flat  Allen  and  Marie 
and  Florrie  was  busy  packing  up  and  they  asked 
me  how  I  come  out.  I  told  them  and  Allen  just 


120  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

stood  there  stareing  like  a  big  rummy  but  Marie 
and  Florrie  both  begin  to  cry  and  I  almost  felt 
like  as  if  I  would  like  to  cry  to  only  I  am  not 
no  baby  Al. 

Well  Al  I  told  Florrie  she  might  just  is  well 
quit  packing  and  make  up  her  mind  that  she  was 
not  going  nowheres  till  I  got  money  enough  to 
go  to  Bedford  where  I  belong.  She  kept  right  on 
crying  and  it  got  so  I  could  not  stand  it  no  more 
so  I  went  out  to  get  a  drink  because  I  still  had 
just  about  a  dollar  left  yet. 

It  was  about  2  oclock  when  I  left  the  flat  and 
pretty  near  5  when  I  come  back  because  I  had 
ran  in  to  some  fans  that  knowed  who  I  was  and 
would  not  let  me  get  away  and  besides  I  did  not 
want  to  see  no  more  of  Allen  and  Marie  till  they 
was  out  of  the  house  and  on  their  way. 

But  when  I  come  in  Al  they  was  nobody  there. 
They  was  not  nothing  there  except  the  furniture 
and  a  few  of  my  things  scattered  round.  I  sit 
down  for  a  few  minutes  because  I  guess  I  must 
of  had  to  much  to  drink  but  finally  I  seen  a  note 
on  the  table  addressed  to  me  and  I  seen  it  was 
Florrie's  writeing. 

I  do  not  remember  just  what  was  there  in  the 
note  Al  because  I  tore  it  up  the  minute  I  read 
it  but  it  was  something  about  I  could  not  support 


THE  BUSHER'S  HONEYMOON     121 

no  wife  and  Allen  had  gave  her  enough  money  to 
go  back  to  Texas  and  she  was  going  on  the  6 
oclock  train  and  it  would  not  do  me  no  good  to 
try  and  stop  her. 

Well  Al  they  was  not  no  danger  of  me  trying 
to  stop  her.  She  was  not  no  good  Al  and  I  wisht 
I  had  not  of  never  saw  either  she  or  her  sister  or 
my  brother-in-law. 

For  a  minute  I  thought  I  would  follow  Allen 
and  his  wife  down  to  the  deepo  where  the  spe- 
cial train  was  to  pull  out  of  and  wait  till  I  see 
him  and  punch  his  jaw  but  I  seen  that  would  not 
get  me  nothing. 

So  here  I  am  all  alone  Al  and  I  will  have  to 
stay  here  till  you  send  me  the  money  to  come 
home.  You  better  send  me  $25  because  I  have 
got  a  few  little  debts  I  should  ought  to  pay  be- 
fore I  leave  town.  I  am  not  going  to  Milwaukee 
Al  because  I  did  not  get  no  decent  deal  and  no- 
body cannot  make  no  sucker  out  of  me. 

Please  hurry  up  with  the  $25  Al  old  friend 
because  I  am  sick  and  tired  of  Chi  and  want  to 
get  back  there  with  my  old  pal. 

Yours,  JACK. 

P.  S.  Al  I  wish  I  had  of  took  poor  little  Violet 
when  she  was  so  stuck  on  me. 


CHAPTER  IV 

A   NEW   BUSKER  BREAKS   IN 

Chicago,  Illinois,  March  2. 

FRIEND  AL:  Al  that  peace  in  the  paper  was 
all  O.  K.  and  the  right  dope  just  like  you 
said.  I  seen  president  Johnson  the  president  of 
the  league  to-day  and  he  told  me  the  peace  in 
the  papers  was  the  right  dope  and  Comiskey  did 
not  have  no  right  to  sell  me  to  Milwaukee  be- 
cause the  Detroit  Club  had  never  gave  no  wavers 
on  me.  He  says  the  Detroit  Club  was  late  in 
fileing  their  claim  and  Comiskey  must  of  tooken 
it  for  granted  that  they  was  going  to  wave  but 
president  Johnson  was  pretty  sore  about  it  at 
that  and  says  Comiskey  did  not  have  no  right  to 
sell  me  till  he  was  positive  that  they  was  not  no 
team  that  wanted  me. 

It  will  probily  cost  Comiskey  some  money  for 
acting  like  he  done  and  not  paying  no  attention 
to  the  rules  and  I  would  not  be  supprised  if  presi- 
dent Johnson  had  him  throwed  out  of  the  league. 

Well  I  asked  president  Johnson  should  I  re- 

122 


A  NEW  BUSHER  BREAKS  IN     123 

port  at  once  to  the  Detroit  Club  down  south  and 
he  says  No  you  better  wait  till  you  hear  from 
Comiskey  and  I  says  What  has  Comiskey  got  to 
do  with  it  now?  And  he  says  Comiskey  will 
own  you  till  he  sells  you  to  Detroit  or  some- 
wheres  else.  So  I  will  have  to  go  out  to  the  ball 
park  to-morrow  and  see  is  they  any  mail  for  me 
there  because  I  probily  will  get  a  letter  from 
Comiskey  telling  me  I  am  sold  to  Detroit. 

If  I  had  of  thought  at  the  time  I  would  of 
knew  that  Detroit  never  would  give  no  wavers 
on  me  after  the  way  I  showed  Cobb  and  Craw- 
ford up  last  fall  and  I  might  of  knew  too  that 
Detroit  is  in  the  market  for  good  pitchers  because 
they  got  a  rotten  pitching  staff  but  they  won't 
have  no  rotten  staff  when  I  get  with  them. 

If  necessary  I  will  pitch  every  other  day  for 
Jennings  and  if  I  do  we  will  win  the  pennant 
sure  because  Detroit  has  got  a  club  that  can  get 
2  or  3  runs  every  day  and  all  as  I  need  to  win 
most  of  my  games  is  1  run.  I  can't  hardly  wait 
till  Jennings  works  me  against  the  White  Sox  and 
what  I  will  do  to  them  will  be  a  plenty.  It  don't 
take  no  pitching  to  beat  them  anyway  and  when 
they  get  up  against  a  pitcher  like  I  they  might  as 
well  leave  their  bats  in  the  bag  for  all  the  good 
their  bats  will  do  them. 


124  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

I  guess  Cobb  and  Crawford  will  be  glad  to 
have  me  on  the  Detroit  Club  because  then  they 
won't  never  have  to  hit  against  me  except  in  prac- 
tice and  I  won't  pitch  my  best  in  practice  because 
they  will  be  teammates  of  mine  and  I  don't  never 
like  to  show  none  of  my  teammates  up.  At  that 
though  I  don't  suppose  Jennings  will  let  me  do 
much  pitching  in  practice  because  when  he  gets  a 
hold  of  a  good  pitcher  he  won't  want  me  to  take 
no  chances  of  throwing  my  arm  away  in  practice. 

Al  just  think  how  funny  it  will  be  to  have  me 
pitching  for  the  Tigers  in  the  same  town  where 
Violet  lives  and  pitching  on  the  same  club  with 
her  husband.  It  will  not  be  so  funny  for  Violet 
and  her  husband  though  because  when  she  has  a 
chance  to  see  me  work  regular  she  will  find  out 
what  a  mistake  she  made  takeing  that  left-hander 
instead  of  a  man  that  has  got  some  future  and 
soon  will  be  makeing  5  or  $6000  a  year  because 
I  won't  sign  with  Detroit  for  no  less  than  $5000 
at  most.  Of  coarse  I  could  of  had  her  if  I  had 
of  wanted  to  but  still  and  all  it  will  make  her 
feel  pretty  sick  to  see  me  winning  games  for  De- 
troit while  her  husband  is  batting  fungos  and 
getting  splinters  in  his  unie  from  slideing  up  and 
down  the  bench. 

As  for  her  husband  the  first  time  he  opens  his 


A  NEW  BUSHER  BREAKS  IN     125 

clam  to  me  I  will  haul  off  and  bust  him  one  in 
the  jaw  but  I  guess  he  will  know  more  than  to 
start  trouble  with  a  man  of  my  size  and  who  is 
going  to  be  one  of  their  stars  while  he  is  just 
holding  down  a  job  because  they  feel  sorry  for 
him.  I  wish  he  could  of  got  the  girl  I  married 
instead  of  the  one  he  got  and  I  bet  she  would  of 
drove  him  crazy.  But  I  guess  you  can't  drive  a 
left-hander  crazyer  than  he  is  to  begin  with. 

I  have  not  heard  nothing  from  Florrie  Al  and 
I  don't  want  to  hear  nothing.  I  and  her  is  better 
apart  and  I  wish  she  would  sew  me  for  a  bill  of 
divorce  so  she  could  not  go  round  claiming  she 
is  my  wife  and  disgraceing  my  name.  If  she 
would  consent  to  sew  me  for  a  bill  of  divorce  I 
would  gladly  pay  all  the  expenses  and  settle  with 
her  for  any  sum  of  money  she  wants  say  about 
$75.00  or  $100.00  and  they  is  no  reason  I  should 
give  her  a  nichol  after  the  way  her  and  her  sister 
Marie  and  her  brother-in-law  Allen  grafted  off 
of  me.  Probily  I  could  sew  her  for  a  bill  of 
divorce  but  they  tell  me  it  costs  money  to  sew 
and  if  you  just  lay  low  and  let  the  other  side  do 
the  sewing  it  don't  cost  you  a  nichol. 

It  is  pretty  late  Al  and  I  have  got  to  get  up 
early  to-morrow  and  go  to  the  ball  park  and  see 


126  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

is  they  any  mail  for  me.     I  will  let  you  know 
what  I  hear  old  pal. 

Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  March  4. 

AL:  I  am  up  against  it  again.  I  went  out  to 
the  ball  park  office  yesterday  and  they  was  no- 
body there  except  John  somebody  who  is  asst 
secretary  and  all  the  rest  of  them  is  out  on  the 
Coast  with  the  team.  Maybe  this  here  John  was 
trying  to  kid  me  but  this  is  what  he  told  me. 
First  I  says  Is  they  a  letter  here  for  me?  And 
he  says  No.  And  I  says  I  was  expecting  word 
from  Comiskey  that  I  should  join  the  Detroit 
Club  and  he  says  What  makes  you  think  you  are 
going  to  Detroit?  I  says  Comiskey  asked  wavers 
on  me  and  Detroit  did  not  give  no  wavers.  He 
says  Well  that  is  not  no  sign  that  you  are  going 
to  Detroit.  If  Comiskey  can't  get  you  out  of  the 
league  he  will  probily  keep  you  himself  and  it  is 
a  cinch  he  is  not  going  to  give  no  pitcher  to  De- 
troit no  matter  how  rotten  he  is. 

I  says  What  do  you  mean?  And  he  says  You 
just  stick  round  town  till  you  hear  from  Comiskey 
and  I  guess  you  will  hear  pretty  soon  because  he 
is  comeing  back  from  the  Coast  next  Saturday.  I 
says  Well  the  only  thing  he  can  tell  me  is  to 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     127 

report  to  Detroit  because  I  won't  never  pitch 
again  for  the  White  Sox.  Then  John  gets  fresh 
and  says  I  suppose  you  will  quit  the  game  and 
live  on  your  saveings  and  then  I  blowed  out  of 
the  office  because  I  was  scared  I  would  loose  my 
temper  and  break  something. 

So  you  see  Al  what  I  am  up  against.  I  won't 
never  pitch  for  the  White  Sox  again  and  I  want 
to  get  with  the  Detroit  Club  but  how  can  I  if 
Comiskey  won't  let  me  go^  All  I  can  do  is  stick 
round  till  next  Saturday  and  then  I  will  see 
Comiskey  and  I  guess  when  I  tell  him  what  I 
think  of  him  he  will  be  glad  to  let  me  go  to  De- 
troit or  anywheres  else.  I  will  have  something 
on  him  this  time  because  I  know  that  he  did  not 
pay  no  attention  to  the  rules  when  he  told  me  I 
was  sold  to  Milwaukee  and  if  he  tries  to  slip 
something  over  on  me  I  will  tell  president  John- 
son of  the  league  all  about  it  and  then  you  will 
see  where  Comiskey  heads  in  at. 

Al  old  pal  that  $25.00  you  give  me  at  the 
station  the  other  day  is  all  shot  to  peaces  and  I 
must  ask  you  to  let  me  have  $25.00  more  which 
will  make  $75.00  all  together  includeing  the 
$25.00  you  sent  me  before  I  come  home.  I  hate 
to  ask  you  this  favor  old  pal  but  I  know  you 
have  got  the  money.  If  I  am  sold  to  Detroit  I 


128  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

will  get  some  advance  money  and  pay  up  all 
my  dedts  incluseive. 

If  he  don't  let  me  go  to  Detroit  I  will  make 
him  come  across  with  part  of  my  salery  for  this 
year  even  if  I  don't  pitch  for  him  because  I  signed 
a  contract  and  was  ready  to  do  my  end  of  it  and 
would  of  if  he  had  not  of  been  nasty  and  tried 
to  slip  something  over  on  me.  If  he  refuses  to 
come  across  I  will  hire  a  attorney  at  law  and  he 
will  get  it  all.  So  Al  you  see  you  have  got  a 
cinch  on  getting  back  what  you  lone  me  but  I 
guess  you  know  that  Al  without  all  this  talk  be- 
cause you  have  been  my  old  pal  for  a  good  many 
years  and  I  have  allways  treated  you  square  and 
tried  to  make  you  feel  that  I  and  you  was  equals 
and  that  my  success  was  not  going  to  make  me 
forget  my  old  friends. 

Wherever  I  pitch  this  year  I  will  insist  on  a 
salery  of  5  or  $6000  a  year.  So  you  see  on  my 
first  pay  day  I  will  have  enough  to  pay  you  up 
and  settle'  the  rest  of  my  dedts  but  I  am  not  going 
to  pay  no  more  rent  for  this  rotten  flat  because 
they  tell  me  if  a  man  don't  pay  no  rent  for  a 
while  they  will  put  him  out.  Let  them  put  me 
out.  I  should  not  worry  but  will  go  and  rent 
my  old  room  that  I  had  before  I  met  Florrie  and 
got  into  all  this  trouble. 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     129 

The  sooner  you  can  send  me  that  $35.00  the 
better  and  then  I  will  owe  you  $85.00  incluseive 
and  I  will  write  and  let  you  know  how  I  come 
out  with  Comiskey. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  March  12. 

FRIEND  AL  :  I  got  another  big  supprise  for  you 
and  this  is  it  I  am  going  to  pitch  for  the  White 
Sox  after  all.  If  Comiskey  was  not  a  old  man 
I  guess  I  would  of  lost  my  temper  and  beat  him 
up  but  I  am  glad  now  that  I  kept  my  temper  and 
did  not  loose  it  because  I  forced  him  to  make  a 
lot  of  consessions  and  now  it  looks  like  as  though 
I  would  have  a  big  year  both  pitching  and  money. 

He  got  back  to  town  yesterday  morning  and 
showed  up  to  his  office  in  the  afternoon  and  I  was 
there  waiting  for  him.  He  would  not  see  me  for 
a  while  but  finally  I  acted  like  as  though  I  was 
getting  tired  of  waiting  and  I  guess  the  secretary 
got  scared  that  I  would  beat  it  out  of  the  office 
and  leave  them  all  in  the  lerch.  Anyway  he 
went  in  and  spoke  to  Comiskey  and  then  come 
out  and  says  the  boss  was  ready  to  see  me.  When 
I  went  into  the  office  where  he  was  at  he  says 
Well  young  man  what  can  I  do  for  you^  And 
I  says  I  want  you  to  give  me  my  release  so  as  I 


130  LYOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

can  join  the  Detroit  Club  down  South  and  get 
in  shape.  Then  he  says  What  makes  you  think 
you  are  going  to  join  the  Detroit  Club'?  Because 
we  need  you  here.  I  says  Then  why  did  you  try 
to  sell  me  to  Milwaukee?  But  you  could  not 
because  you  could  not  get  no  wavers. 

Then  he  says  I  thought  I  was  doing  you  a  favor 
by  sending  you  to  Milwaukee  because  they  make 
a  lot  of  beer  up  there.  I  says  What  do  you  mean*? 
He  says  You  been  keeping  in  shape  all  this  win- 
ter by  trying  to  drink  this  town  dry  and  besides 
that  you  tried  to  hold  me  up  for  more  money 
when  you  allready  had  signed  a  contract  allready 
and  so  I  was  going  to  send  you  to  Milwaukee 
and  learn  you  something  and  besides  you  tried 
to  go  with  the  Federal  League  but  they  would 
not  take  you  because  they  was  scared  to. 

I  don't  know  where  he  found  out  all  that  stuff 
at  Al  and  besides  he  was  wrong  when  he  says  I 
was  drinking  to  much  because  they  is  not  no- 
body that  can  drink  more  than  me  and  not  be 
effected.  But  I  did  not  say  nothing  because  I 
was  scared  I  would  forget  myself  and  call  him 
some  name  and  he  is  a  old  man.  Yes  I  did  say 
something.  I  says  Well  I  guess  you  found  out 
that  you  could  not  get  me  out  of  the  league  and 
then  he  says  Don't  never  think  I  could  not  get 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     131 

you  out  of  the  league.  If  you  think  I  can't  send 
you  to  Milwaukee  I  will  prove  it  to  you  that  I 
can.  I  says  You  can't  because  Detroit  won't  give 
no  wavers  on  me.  He  says  Detroit  will  give 
wavers  on  you  quick  enough  if  I  ask  them. 

Then  he  says  Now  you  can  take  your  choice 
you  can  stay  here  and  pitch  for  me  at  the  salery 
you  signed  up  for  and  you  can  cut  out  the  monkey 
business  and  drink  water  when  you  are  thirsty  or 
else  you  can  go  up  to  Milwaukee  and  drownd 
yourself  in  one  of  them  brewrys.  Which  shall 
it  be?  I  says  How  can  you  keep  me  or  send  me 
to  Milwaukee  when  Detroit  has  allready  claimed 
my  services?  He  says  Detroit  has  claimed  a  lot 
of  things  and  they  have  even  claimed  the  pen- 
nant but  that  is  not  no  sign  they  will  win  it.  He 
says  And  besides  you  would  not  want  to  pitch 
for  Detroit  because  then  you  would  not  never 
have  no  chance  to  pitch  against  Cobb  and  show 
him  up. 

Well  Al  when  he  says  that  I  knowed  he  ap- 
presiated  what  a  pitcher  I  am  even  if  he  did  try 
to  sell  me  to  Milwaukee  or  he  would  not  of  made 
that  remark  about  the  way  I  can  show  Cobb  and 
Crawford  up.  So  I  says  Well  if  you  need  me 
that  bad  I  will  pitch  for  you  but  I  must  have  a 
new  contract.  He  says  Oh  I  guess  we  can  fix 


132  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

that  up  O.  K.  and  he  steps  out  in  the  next  room 
a  while  and  then  he  comes  back  with  a  new  con- 
tract. And  what  do  you  think  it  was  Al?  It 
was  a  contract  for  3  years  so  you  see  I  am  sure 
of  my  job  here  for  3  years  and  everything  is  all 
O.K. 

The  contract  calls  for  the  same  salery  a  year 
for  3  years  that  I  was  going  to  get  before  for 
only  i  year  which  is  $2800.00  a  year  and  then  I 
will  get  in  on  the  city  serious  money  too  and  the 
Detroit  Club  don't  have  no  city  serious  and  have 
no  chance  to  get  into  the  World's  Serious  with 
the  rotten  pitching  staff  they  got.  So  you  see  Al 
he  fixed  me  up  good  and  that  shows  that  he  must 
think  a  hole  lot  of  me  or  he  would  of  sent  me  to 
Detroit  or  maybe  to  Milwaukee  but  I  don't  see 
how  he  could  of  did  that  without  no  wavers. 

Well  Al  I  allmost  forgot  to  tell  you  that  he 
has  gave  me  a  ticket  to  Los  Angeles  where  the  2d 
team  are  practicing  at  now  but  where  the  1st 
team  will  be  at  in  about  a  week.  I  am  leaveing 
to-night  and  I  guess  before  I  go  I  will  go  down 
to  president  Johnson  and  tell  him  that  I  am  fixed 
up  all  O.  K.  and  have  not  got  no  kick  comeing 
so  that  president  Johnson  will  not  fine  Comiskey 
for  not  paying  no  attention  to  the  rules  or  get 
him  fired  out  of  the  league  because  I  guess  Com- 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     133 

iskey  must  be  all  O.  K.  and  good  hearted  after 
all. 

I  won't  pay  no  attention  to  what  he  says  about 
me  drinking  this  town  dry  because  he  is  all  wrong 
in  regards  to  that.  He  must  of  been  jokeing  I 
guess  because  nobody  but  some  boob  would  think 
he  could  drink  this  town  dry  but  at  that  I  guess 
I  can  hold  more  than  anybody  and  not  be  effected. 
But  I  guess  I  will  cut  it  out  for  a  while  at  that 
because  I  don't  want  to  get  them  sore  at  me  after 
the  contract  they  give  me. 

I  will  write  to  you  from  Los  Angeles  Al  and 
let  you  know  what  the  boys  says  when  they  see 
me  and  I  will  bet  that  they  will  be  tickled  to 
death.  The  rent  man  was  round  to-day  but  I 
seen  him  comeing  and  he  did  not  find  me.  I  am 
going  to  leave  the  furniture  that  belongs  in  the 
flat  in  the  flat  and  allso  the  furniture  I  bought 
which  don't  amount  to  much  because  it  was  not 
no  real  Sir  Cashion  walnut  and  besides  I  don't 
want  nothing  round  me  to  remind  me  of  Florrie 
because  the  sooner  her  and  I  forget  each  other 
the  better. 

Tell  the  boys  about  my  good  luck  Al  but  it  is 
not  no  luck  neither  because  it  was  comeing  to  me. 
Yours  truly,  JACK, 


134  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Los  Angeles,  California^  March  16. 

AL  :  Here  I  am  back  with  the  White  Sox  again 
and  it  seems  to  good  to  be  true  because  just  like 
I  told  you  they  are  all  tickled  to  death  to  see  me. 
Kid  Gleason  is  here  in  charge  of  the  2d  team  and 
when  he  seen  me  come  into  the  hotel  he  jumped 
up  and  hit  me  in  the  stumach  but  he  acts  like  that 
whenever  he  feels  good  so  I  could  not  get  sore  at 
him  though  he  had  no  right  to  hit  me  in  the 
stumach.  If  he  had  of  did  it  in  ernest  I  would 
of  walloped  him  in  the  jaw. 

He  says  Well  if  here  ain't  the  old  lady  killer. 
He  ment  Al  that  I  am  strong  with  the  girls  but 
I  am  all  threw  with  them  now  but  he  don't  know 
nothing  about  the  troubles  I  had.  He  says  Are 
you  in  shape?  And  I  told  him  Yes  I  am.  He 
says  Yes  you  look  in  shape  like  a  barrel.  I  says 
They  is  not  no  fat  on  me  and  if  I  am  a  little  bit 
bigger  than  last  year  it  is  because  my  mussels  is 
bigger.  He  says  Yes  your  stumach  mussels  is 
emense  and  you  must  of  gave  them  plenty  of  ex- 
ercise. Wait  till  Bodie  sees  you  and  he  will  want 
to  stick  round  you  all  the  time  because  you  make 
him  look  like  a  broom  straw  or  something.  I  let 
him  kid  me  along  because  what  is  the  use  of 
getting  mad  at  him?  And  besides  he  is  all  O.  K. 
even  if  he  is  a  little  rough. 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN 

I  says  to  him  A  little  work  will  fix  me  up  all 
O.  K.  and  he  says  You  bet  you  are  going  to  get 
some  work  because  I  am  going  to  see  to  it  my- 
self. I  says  You  will  have  to  hurry  because  you 
will  be  going  up  to  Frisco  in  a  few  days  and  I 
am  going  to  stay  here  and  join  the  1st  club.  Then 
he  says  You  are  not  going  to  do  no  such  a  thing. 
You  are  going  right  along  with  me.  I  knowed 
he  was  kidding  me  then  because  Callahan  would 
not  never  leave  me  with  the  2d  team  no  more 
after  what  I  done  for  him  last  year  and  besides 
most  of  the  stars  generally  allways  goes  with  the 
1st  team  on  the  training  trip. 

Well  I  seen  all  the  rest  of  the  boys  that  is  here 
with  the  2d  team  and  they  all  acted  like  as  if 
they  was  glad  to  see  me  and  why  should  not  they 
be  when  they  know  that  me  being  here  with  the 
White  Sox  and  not  with  Detroit  means  that  Cal- 
lahan won't  have  to  do  no  worrying  about  his 
pitching  staff?  But  they  is  four  or  5  young  recrut 
pitchers  with  the  team  here  and  I  bet  they  is  not 
so  glad  to  see  me  because  what  chance  have  they 
got? 

If  I  was  Comiskey  and  Callahan  I  would  not 
spend  no  money  on  new  pitchers  because  with 
me  and  l  or  2  of  the  other  boys  we  got  the  best 
pitching  staff  in  the  league.  And  instead  of 


136  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

spending  the  money  for  new  pitching  recruts  I 
would  put  it  all  in  a  lump  and  buy  Ty  Cobb  or 
Sam  Crawford  off  of  Detroit  or  somebody  else 
who  can  hit  and  Cobb  and  Crawford  is  both  real 
hitters  Al  even  if  I  did  make  them  look  like 
suckers.  Who  wouldn't? 

Well  Al  to-morrow  A.  M.  I  am  going  out  and 
work  a  little  and  in  the  p.  M.  I  will  watch  the 
game  between  we  and  the  Venice  Club  but  I  won't 
pitch  none  because  Gleason  would  not  dare  take 
no  chances  of  me  hurting  my  arm.  I  will  write 
to  you  in  a  few  days  from  here  because  no  matter 
what  Gleason  says  I  am  going  to  stick  here  with 
the  1st  team  because  I  know  Callahan  will  want 
me  along  with  him  for  a  attraction. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

San  Francisco,  California,  March  20. 
FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  here  I  am  back  in  old 
Frisco  with  the  2d  team  but  I  will  tell  you  how 
it  happened  Al.  Yesterday  Gleason  told  me  to 
pack  up  and  get  ready  to  leave  Los  Angeles  with 
him  and  I  says  No  I  am  going  to  stick  here  and 
wait  for  the  1st  team  and  then  he  says  I  guess  I 
must  of  overlooked  something  in  the  papers  be- 
cause I  did  not  see  nothing  about  you  being  ap- 
pointed manager  of  the  club.  I  says  No  I  am 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     137 

not  manager  but  Callahan  is  manager  and  he 
will  want  to  keep  me  with  him.  He  says  I  got  a 
wire  from  Callahan  telling  me  to  keep  you  with 
my  club  but  of  coarse  if  you  know  what  Callahan 
wants  better  than  he  knows  it  himself  why  then 
go  ahead  and  stay  here  or  go  jump  in  the  Pacific 
Ocean. 

Then  he  says  I  know  why  you  don't  want  to 
go  with  me  and  I  says  Why?  And  he  says  Be- 
cause you  know  I  will  make  you  work  and  won't 
let  you  eat  everything  on  the  bill  of  fair  include- 
ing  the  name  of  the  hotel  at  which  we  are  stopping 
at.  That  made  me  sore  and  I  was  just  going  to 
call  him  when  he  says  Did  not  you  marry  Mrs. 
Allen's  sister?  And  I  says  Yes  but  that  is  not 
none  of  your  business.  Then  he  says  Well  I  don't 
want  to  butt  into  your  business  but  I  heard  you 
and  your  wife  had  some  kind  of  a  argument  and 
she  beat  it.  I  says  Yes  she  give  me  a  rotten  deal. 
He  says  Well  then  I  don't  see  where  it  is  going 
to  be  very  pleasant  for  you  traveling  round  with 
the  1st  club  because  Allen  and  his  wife  is  both 
with  that  club  and  what  do  you  want  to  be  mixed 
up  with  them  for?  I  says  I  am  not  scared  of 
Allen  or  his  wife  or  no  other  old  hen. 

So  here  I  am  Al  with  the  2d  team  but  it  is 
only  for  a  while  till  Callahan  gets  sick  of  some 


138  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

of  them  pitchers  he  has  got  and  sends  for  me  so 
as  he  can  see  some  real  pitching.  And  besides 
I  am  glad  to  be  here  in  Frisco  where  I  made  so 
many  friends  when  I  was  pitching  here  for  a  short 
time  till  Callahan  heard  about  my  work  and 
called  me  back  to  the  big  show  where  I  belong 
at  and  nowheres  else. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

San  Francisco,  California,  March  25. 
OLD  PAL  :  Al  I  got  a  supprise  for  you.  Who 
do  you  think  I  seen  last  night?  Nobody  but 
Hazel.  Her  name  now  is  Hazel  Levy  because 
you  know  Al  she  married  Kid  Levy  the  middle- 
weight and  I  wish  he  was  champion  of  the  world 
Al  because  then  it  would  not  take  me  more  than 
about  a  minute  to  be  champion  of  the  world  my- 
self. I  have  not  got  nothing  against  him  though 
because  he  married  her  and  if  he  had  not  of  I 
probily  would  of  married  her  myself  but  at  that 
she  could  not  of  treated  me  no  worse  than  Florrie. 
Well  they  was  setting  at  a  table  in  the  cafe  where 
her  and  I  use  to  go  pretty  near  every  night.  She 
spotted  me  when  I  first  come  in  and  sends  a  waiter 
over  to  ask  me  to  come  and  have  a  drink  with 
them.  I  went  over  because  they  was  no  use  being 
nasty  and  let  bygones  be  bygones. 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     139 

She  interduced  me  to  her  husband  and  he  asked 
me  what  was  I  drinking.  Then  she  butts  in  and 
says  Oh  you  must  let  Mr.  Keefe  buy  the  drinks  be- 
cause it  hurts  his  feelings  to  have  somebody  else 
buy  the  drinks.  Then  Levy  says  Oh  he  is  one  of 
these  here  spendrifts  is  he*?  and  she  says  Yes  he 
don't  care  no  more  about  a  nichol  than  his  right 
eye  does.  I  says  I  guess  you  have  got  no  holler 
comeing  on  the  way  I  spend  my  money.  I  don't 
steal  no  money  anyway.  She  says  What  do  you 
mean*?  and  I  says  I  guess  you  know  what  I  mean. 
How  about  that  $30.00  that  you  borrowed  off 
of  me  and  never  give  it  back  ?  Then  her  husband 
cuts  in  and  says  You  cut  that  line  of  talk  out  or 
I  will  bust  you.  I  says  Yes  you  will.  And  he 
says  Yes  I  will. 

Well  Al  what  was  the  use  of  me  starting  trouble 
with  him  when  he  has  got  enough  trouble  right 
to  home  and  besides  as  I  say  I  have  not  got  noth- 
ing against  him.  So  I  got  up  and  blowed  away 
from  the  table  and  I  bet  he  was  relieved  when 
he  seen  I  was  not  going  to  start  nothing.  I  beat 
it  out  of  there  a  while  afterward  because  I  was 
not  drinking  nothing  and  I  don't  have  no  fun 
setting  round  a  place  and  lapping  up  ginger  ail 
or  something.  And  besides  the  music  was  rotten. 

Al  I  am  certainly  glad  I  throwed  Hazel  over 


140  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

because  she  has  grew  to  be  as  big  as  a  horse  and 
is  all  painted  up.  I  don't  care  nothing  about 
them  big  dolls  no  more  or  about  no  other  kind 
neither.  I  am  off  of  them  all.  They  can  all  of 
them  die  and  I  should  not  worry. 

Well  Al  I  done  my  first  pitching  of  the  year 
this  P.  M.  and  I  guess  I  showed  them  that  I  was 
in  just  as  good  a  shape  as  some  of  them  birds 
that  has  been  working  a  month.  I  worked  4  in- 
nings against  my  old  team  the  San  Francisco 
Club  and  I  give  them  nothing  but  fast  ones  but 
they  sure  was  fast  ones  and  you  could  hear  them 
zip.  Charlie  O'Leary  was  trying  to  get  out  of 
the  way  of  one  of  them  and  it  hit  his  bat  and 
went  over  first  base  for  a  base  hit  but  at  that 
Fournier  would  of  eat  it  up  if  it  had  of  been  Chase 
playing  first  base  instead  of  Fournier. 

That  was  the  only  hit  they  got  off  of  me  and 
they  ought  to  of  been  ashamed  to  of  tooken  that 
one.  But  Gleason  don't  appresiate  my  work  and 
him  and  I  allmost  come  to  blows  at  supper.  I 
was  pretty  hungry  and  I  ordered  some  stake  and 
some  eggs  and  some  pie  and  some  ice  cream  and 
some  coffee  and  a  glass  of  milk  but  Gleason  would 
not  let  me  have  the  pie  or  the  milk  and  would 
not  let  me  eat  more  than  J4  the  stake.  And  it 
is  a  wonder  I  did  not  bust  him  and  tell  him  to 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     141 

mind  his  own  business.  I  says  What  right  have 
you  got  to  tell  me  what  to  eat?  And  he  says 
You  don't  need  nobody  to  tell  you  what  to  eat 
you  need  somebody  to  keep  you  from  floundering 
yourself.  I  says  Why  can't  I  eat  what  I  want 
to  when  I  have  worked  good? 

He  says  Who  told  you  you  worked  good  and 
I  says  I  did  not  need  nobody  to  tell  me.  I  know 
I  worked  good  because  they  could  not  do  nothing 
with  me.  He  says  Well  it  is  a  good  thing  for 
you  that  they  did  not  start  bunting  because  if 
you  had  of  went  to  stoop  over  and  pick  up  the 
ball  you  would  of  busted  wide  open.  I  says 
Why?  and  he  says  because  you  are  hog  fat  and  if 
you  don't  let  up  on  the  stable  and  fancy  groceries 
we  will  have  to  pay  2  fairs  to  get  you  back  to 
Chi.  I  don't  remember  now  what  I  says  to  him 
but  I  says  something  you  can  bet  on  that.  You 
know  me  Al. 

I  wish  Al  that  Callahan  would  hurry  up  and 
order  me  to  join  the  1st  team.  If  he  don't  Al 
I  believe  Gleason  will  starve  me  to  death.  A 
little  slob  like  him  don't  realize  that  a  big  man 
like  I  needs  good  food  and  plenty  of  it. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 


142  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  April  i. 

AL:  Well  Al  we  are  on  our  way  East  and  I 
am  still  with  the  2d  team  and  I  don't  understand 
why  Callahan  don't  order  me  to  join  the  1st  team 
but  maybe  it  is  because  he  knows  that  I  am  all 
right  and  have  got  the  stuff  and  he  wants  to  keep 
them  other  guys  round  where  he  can  see  if  they 
have  got  anything. 

The  recrut  pitchers  that  is  along  with  our  club 
have  not  got  nothing  and  the  scout  that  reckom- 
mended  them  must  of  been  full  of  hops  or  some- 
thing. It  is  not  no  common  thing  for  a  club  to 
pick  up  a  man  that  has  got  the  stuff  to  make 
him  a  star  up  here  and  the  White  Sox  was  pretty 
lucky  to  land  me  but  I  don't  understand  why 
they  throw  their  money  away  on  new  pitchers 
when  none  of  them  is  no  good  and  besides  who 
would  want  a  better  pitching  staff  than  we  got 
right  now  without  no  raw  recruts  and  bushers. 

I  worked  in  Oakland  the  day  before  yesterday 
but  he  only  let  me  go  the  1st  4  innings.  I  bet 
them  Oakland  birds  was  glad  when  he  took  me 
out.  When  I  was  in  that  league  I  use  to  just 
throw  my  glove  in  the  box  and  them  Oakland 
birds  was  licked  and  honest  Al  some  of  them 
turned  white  when  they  seen  I  was  going  to  pitch 
the  other  day. 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     143 

I  felt  kind  of  sorry  for  them  and  I  did  not  give 
them  all  I  had  so  they  got  5  or  6  hits  and  scored 
a  couple  of  runs.  I  was  not  feeling  very  good 
at  that  and  besides  we  got  some  awful  excuses 
for  a  ball  player  on  this  club  and  the  support 
they  give  me  was  the  rottenest  I  ever  seen  gave 
anybody.  But  some  of  them  won't  be  in  this  league 
more  than  about  10  minutes  more  so  I  should  not 
fret  as  they  say. 

We  play  here  this  afternoon  and  I  don't  be- 
lieve I  will  work  because  the  team  they  got  here 
is  not  worth  wasteing  nobody  on.  They  must  be 
a  lot  of  boobs  in  this  town  Al  because  they  tell 
me  that  some  of  them  has  got  */2  a  dozen  wives 
or  so.  And  what  a  man  wants  with  1  wife  is  a 
misery  to  me  let  alone  a  */2  dozen. 

I  will  probily  work  against  Denver  because 
they  got  a  good  club  and  was  champions  of  the 
Western  League  last  year.  I  will  make  them 
think  they  are  champions  of  the  Epworth  League 
or  something.  Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Des  MoineS)  Iowa,  April  10. 
FRIEND  AL:    We  got  here  this  A.  M.  and  this 
is  our  last  stop  and  we  will  be  in  old  Chi  to- 
morrow to  open  the  season.     The  1st  team  gets 
home  to-day  and  I  would  be  there  with  them  if 


144  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Callahan  was  a  real  manager  who  knowed  some- 
thing about  manageing  because  if  I  am  going  to 
open  the  season  I  should  ought  to  have  l  day  of 
rest  at  home  so  I  would  have  all  my  strenth  to 
open  the  season.  The  Cleveland  Club  will  be 
there  to  open  against  us  and  Callahan  must  know 
that  I  have  got  them  licked  any  time  I  start 
against  them. 

As  soon  as  my  name  is  announced  to  pitch  the 
Cleveland  Club  is  licked  or  any  other  club  when 
I  am  right  and  they  don't  kick  the  game  away 
behind  me. 

Gleason  told  me  on  the  train  last  night  that  I 
was  going  to  pitch  here  to-day  but  I  bet  by  this 
time  he  has  got  orders  from  Callahan  to  let  me 
rest  and  to  not  give  me  no  more  work  because 
suppose  even  if  I  did  not  start  the  game  to-morrow 
I  probily  will  have  to  finish  it. 

Gleason  has  been  sticking  round  me  like  as  if 
I  had  a  million  bucks  or  something.  I  can't  even 
sit  down  and  smoke  a  cigar  but  what  he  is  there 
to  knock  the  ashes  off  of  it.  He  is  O.  K.  and 
good-hearted  if  he  is  a  little  rough  and  keeps 
hitting  me  in  the  stumach  but  I  wish  he  would 
leave  me  alone  sometimes  espesially  at  meals.  He 
was  in  to  breakfast  with  me  this  A.  M.  and  after 
I  got  threw  I  snuck  off  down  the  street  and  got 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     145 

something  to  eat.  That  is  not  right  because  it 
costs  me  money  when  I  have  to  go  away  from  the 
hotel  and  eat  and  what  right  has  he  got  to  try 
and  help  me  order  my  meals'?  Because  he  don't 
know  what  I  want  and  what  my  stumach  wants. 

My  stumach  don't  want  to  have  him  punching 
it  all  the  time  but  he  keeps  on  doing  it.  So  that 
shows  he  don't  know  what  is  good  for  me.  But 
is  a  old  man  Al  otherwise  I  would  not  stand  for 
the  stuff  he  pulls.  The  1st  thing  I  am  going  to 
do  when  we  get  to  Chi  is  I  am  going  to  a  res- 
turunt  somewheres  and  get  a  good  meal  where 
Gleason  or  no  one  else  can't  get  at  me.  I  know 
allready  what  I  am  going  to  eat  and  that  is  a  big 
stake  and  a  apple  pie  and  that  is  not  all. 

Well  Al  watch  the  papers  and  you  will  see 
what  I  done  to  that  Cleveland  Club  and  I  hope 
Lajoie  and  Jackson  is  both  in  good  shape  because 
I  don't  want  to  pick  on  no  cripples. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois \  April  16. 
OLD  PAL:  Yesterday  was  the  1st  pay  day  old 
pal  and  I  know  I  promised  to  pay  you  what  I 
owe  you  and  it  is  $75.00  because  when  I  asked 
you  for  $35.00  before  I  went  West  you  only  sent 
me  $25.00  which  makes  the  hole  sum  $75.00. 


146  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Well  Al  I  can't  pay  you  now  because  the  pay  we 
drawed  was  only  for  4  days  and  did  not  amount 
to  nothing  and  I  had  to  buy  a  meal  ticket  and  fix 
up  about  my  room  rent. 

And  then  they  is  another  thing  Al  which  I  will 
tell  you  about.  I  come  into  the  clubhouse  the  day 
the  season  opened  and  the  1st  guy  I  seen  was 
Allen.  I  was  going  up  to  bust  him  but  he  come 
up  and  held  his  hand  out  and  what  was  they  for 
me  to  do  but  shake  hands  with  him  if  he  is  going 
to  be  yellow  like  that?  He  says  Well  Jack  I  am 
glad  they  did  not  send  you  to  Milwaukee  and  I 
bet  you  will  have  a  big  year.  I  says  Yes  I  will 
have  a  big  year  O.  K.  if  you  don't  sick  another  1 
of  your  sister-in-laws  on  to  me.  He  says  Oh  don't 
let  they  be  no  hard  feelings  about  that.  You 
know  it  was  not  no  fault  of  mine  and  I  bet  if  you 
was  to  write  to  Florrie  everything  could  be 
fixed  up  O.  K. 

I  says  I  don't  want  to  write  to  no  Florrie  but 
I  will  get  a  attorney  at  law  to  write  to  her.  He 
says  You  don't  even  know  where  she  is  at  and  I 
says  I  don't  care  where  she  is  at.  Where  is  she? 
He  says  She  is  down  to  her  home  in  Waco,  Texas, 
and  if  I  was  you  I  would  write  to  her  myself  and 
not  let  no  attorney  at  law  write  to  her  because 
that  would  get  her  mad  and  besides  what  do  you 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN      147 

want  a  attorney  at  law  to  write  to  her  about?  I 
says  I  am  going  to  sew  her  for  a  bill  of  divorce. 

Then  he  says  On  what  grounds'?  and  I  says 
Dessertion.  He  says  You  better  not  do  no  such 
thing  or  she  will  sew  you  for  a  bill  of  divorce 
for  none  support  and  then  you  will  look  like  a 
cheap  guy.  I  says  I  don't  care  what  I  look  like. 
So  you  see  Al  I  had  to  send  Florrie  $10.00  or 
maybe  she  would  be  mean  enough  to  sew  me  for 
a  bill  of  divorce  on  the  ground  of  none  support 
and  that  would  make  me  look  bad. 

Well  Al,  Allen  told  me  his  wife  wanted  to  talk 
to  me  and  try  and  fix  things  up  between  I  and 
Florrie  but  I  give  him  to  understand  that  I  would 
not  stand  for  no  meeting  with  his  wife  and  he 
says  Well  suit  yourself  about  that  but  they  is  no 
reason  you  and  I  should  quarrel. 

You  see  Al  he  don't  want  no  mix-up  with  me 
because  he  knows  he  could  not  get  nothing  but 
the  worst  of  it.  I  will  be  friends  with  him  but 
I  won't  have  nothing  to  do  with  Marie  because 
if  it  had  not  of  been  for  she  and  Florrie  I  would 
have  money  in  the  bank  besides  not  being  in  no 
danger  of  getting  sewed  for  none  support. 

I  guess  you  must  of  read  about  Joe  Benz  getting 
married  and  I  guess  he  must  of  got  a  good  wife 
and  i  that  don't  bother  him  all  the  time  because 


148  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

he  pitched  the  opening  game  and  shut  Cleveland 
out  with  2  hits.  He  was  pretty  good  Al,  better 
than  I  ever  seen  him  and  they  was  a  couple  of 
times  when  his  fast  ball  was  pretty  near  as  fast 
as  mine. 

I  have  not  worked  yet  Al  and  I  asked  Callahan 
to-day  what  was  the  matter  and  he  says  I  was 
waiting  for  you  to  get  in  shape.  I  says  I  am  in 
shape  now  and  I  notice  that  when  I  was  pitching 
in  practice  this  A.  M.  they  did  not  hit  nothing  out 
of  the  infield.  He  says  That  was  because  you  are 
so  spread  out  that  they  could  not  get  nothing  past 
you.  He  says  The  way  you  are  now  you  cover 
more  ground  than  the  grand  stand.  I  says  Is  that 
so?  And  he  walked  away. 

We  go  out  on  a  trip  to  Cleveland  and  Detroit 
and  St.  Louis  in  a  few  days  and  maybe  I  will 
take  my  regular  turn  then  because  the  other 
pitchers  has  been  getting  away  lucky  because  most 
of  the  hitters  has  not  got  their  batting  eye  as  yet 
but  wait  till  they  begin  hitting  and  then  it  will 
take  a  man  like  I  to  stop  them. 

The  1st  of  May  is  our  next  pay  day  Al  and 
then  I  will  have  enough  money  so  as  I  can  send 
you  the  $75.00.  Your  pal,  JACK. 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     149 

Detroit,  Michigan,  April  28. 

FRIEND  AL:  What  do  you  think  of  a  rotten 
manager  that  bawls  me  out  and  fines  me  $50.00 
for  loosing  a  l  to  o  game  in  10  innings  when  it 
was  my  1st  start  this  season?  And  no  wonder  I 
was  a  little  wild  in  the  loth  when  I  had  not  had 
no  chance  to  work  and  get  control.  I  got  a  good 
notion  to  quit  this  rotten  club  and  jump  to  the 
Federals  where  a  man  gets  some  kind  of  treat- 
ment. Callahan  says  I  thro  wed  the  game  away 
on  purpose  but  I  did  not  do  no  such  a  thing  Al 
because  when  I  throwed  that  ball  at  Joe  Hill's 
head  I  forgot  that  the  bases  was  full  and  besides 
if  Gleason  had  not  of  starved  me  to  death  the  ball 
that  hit  him  in  the  head  would  of  killed  him. 

And  how  could  a  man  go  to  1st  base  and  the 
winning  run  be  forced  in  if  he  was  dead  which 
he  should  ought  to  of  been  the  lucky  left  handed 
stiff  if  I  had  of  had  my  full  strenth  to  put  on  my 
fast  one  instead  of  being  J/£  starved  to  death  and 
weak.  But  I  guess  I  better  tell  you  how  it  come 
off.  The  papers  will  get  it  all  wrong  like  they 
generally  allways  does. 

Callahan  asked  me  this  A.  M.  if  I  thought  I  was 
hard  enough  to  work  and  I  was  tickled  to  death, 
because  I  seen  he  was  going  to  give  me  a  chance. 
I  told  him  Sure  I  was  in  good  shape  and  if  them 


150  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Tigers  scored  a  run  off  me  he  could  keep  me  set- 
ting on  the  bench  the  rest  of  the  summer.  So 
he  says  All  right  I  am  going  to  start  you  and  if 
you  go  good  maybe  Gleason  will  let  you  eat  some 
supper. 

Well  Al  when  I  begin  warming  up  I  happened 
to  look  up  in  the  grand  stand  and  who  do  you  think 
I  seen?  Nobody  but  Violet.  She  smiled  when 
she  seen  me  but  I  bet  she  felt  more  like  crying. 
Well  I  smiled  back  at  her  because  she  probily 
would  of  broke  down  and  made  a  seen  or  some- 
thing if  I  had  not  of.  They  was  not  nobody 
warming  up  for  Detroit  when  I  begin  warming 
up  but  pretty  soon  I  looked  over  to  their  bench 
and  Joe  Hill  Violet's  husband  was  warming  up. 
I  says  to  myself  Well  here  is  where  I  show  that 
bird  up  if  they  got  nerve  enough  to  start  him 
against  me  but  probily  Jennings  don't  want  to 
waste  no  real  pitcher  on  this  game  which  he  knows 
we  got  cinched  and  we  would  of  had  it  cinched 
Al  if  they  had  of  got  a  couple  of  runs  or  even  l 
run  for  me. 

Well,  Jennings  come  passed  our  bench  just  like 
he  allways  does  and  tried  to  pull  some  of  his  funny 
stuff.  He  says  Hello  are  you  still  in  the  league? 
I  says  Yes  but  I  come  pretty  near  not  being.  I 
came  pretty  near  being  with  Detroit.  I  wish  you 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN      151 

could  of  heard  Gleason  and  Callahan  laugh  when 
I  pulled  that  one  on  him.  He  says  something 
back  but  it  was  not  no  hot  comeback  like  mine. 

Well  Al  if  I  had  of  had  any  work  and  my  regu- 
lar control  I  guess  I  would  of  pitched  a  o  hit 
game  because  the  only  time  they  could  touch  me 
was  when  I  had  to  ease  up  to  get  them  over.  Cobb 
was  out  of  the  game  and  they  told  me  he  was 
sick  but  I  guess  the  truth  is  that  he  knowed  I  was 
going  to  pitch.  Crawford  got  a  couple  of  lucky 
scratch  hits  off  of  me  because  I  got  in  the  hole 
to  him  and  had  to  let  up.  But  the  way  that  lucky 
left  handed  Hill  got  by  was  something  awful  and 
if  I  was  as  lucky  as  him  I  would  quit  pitching 
and  shoot  craps  or  something. 

Our  club  can't  hit  nothing  anyway.  But  bat- 
ting against  this  bird  was  just  like  hitting  fungos. 
His  curve  ball  broke  about  ^  a  inch  and  you 
could  of  wrote  your  name  and  address  on  his  fast 
one  while  it  was  comeing  up  there.  He  had  good 
control  but  who  would  not  when  they  put  noth- 
ing on  the  ball? 

Well  Al  we  could  not  get  started  against  the 
lucky  stiff  and  they  could  not  do  nothing  with 
me  even  if  my  suport  was  rotten  and  I  give  a 
couple  or  3  or  4  bases  on  balls  but  when  they  was 
men  waiting  to  score  I  zipped  them  threw  there 


152  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

so  as  they  could  not  see  them  let  alone  hit  them. 
Every  time  I  come  to  the  bench  between  innings 
I  looked  up  to  where  Violet  was  setting  and  give 
her  a  smile  and  she  smiled  back  and  once  I  seen 
her  clapping  her  hands  at  me  after  I  had  made 
Moriarty  pop  up  in  the  pinch. 

Well  we  come  along  to  the  loth  inning,  o  and 
o,  and  all  of  a  sudden  we  got  after  him.  Bodie  hits 
one  and  Schalk  gets  2  strikes  and  2  balls  and  then 
singles.  Callahan  tells  Alcock  to  bunt  and  he  does 
it  but  Hill  sprawls  all  over  himself  like  the  big 
boob  he  is  and  the  bases  is  full  with  nobody  down. 
Well  Gleason  and  Callahan  argude  about  should 
they  send  somebody  up  for  me  or  let  me  go  up 
there  and  I  says  Let  me  go  up  there  because  I 
can  murder  this  bird  and  Callahan  says  Well  they 
is  nobody  out  so  go  up  and  take  a  wallop. 

Honest  Al  if  this  guy  had  of  had  anything  at 
all  I  would  of  hit  1  out  of  the  park,  but  he  did 
not  have  even  a  glove.  And  how  can  a  man  hit 
pitching  which  is  not  no  pitching  at  all  but  just 
slopping  them  up?  When  I  went  up  there  I 
hollered  to  him  and  says  Stick  1  over  here  now 
you  yellow  stiff.  And  he  says  Yes  I  can  stick  them 
over  allright  and  that  is  where  I  got  something 
on  you. 

Well  Al  I  hit  a  foul  off  of  him  that  would  of 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     153 

been  a  fare  ball  and  broke  up  the  game  if  the 
wind  had  not  of  been  against  it.  Then  I  swung 
and  missed  a  curve  that  I  don't  see  how  I  missed 
it.  The  next  1  was  a  yard  outside  and  this  Evans 
calls  it  a  strike.  He  has  had  it  in  for  me  ever 
since  last  year  when  he  tried  to  get  funny  with 
me  and  I  says  something  back  to  him  that  stung 
him.  So  he  calls  this  3d  strike  on  me  and  I  felt 
like  murdering  him.  But  what  is  the  use*? 

I  throwed  down  my  bat  and  come  back  to  the 
bench  and  I  was  glad  Callahan  and  Gleason  was 
out  on  the  coaching  line  or  they  probily  would 
of  said  something  to  me  and  I  would  of  cut  loose 
and  beat  them  up.  Well  Al  Weaver  and  Black- 
burne  looked  like  a  couple  of  rums  up  there  and 
we  don't  score  where  we  ought  to  of  had  3  or  4 
runs  with  any  kind  of  hitting. 

I  would  of  been  all  O.  K.  in  spite  of  that  peace 
of  rotten  luck  if  this  big  Hill  had  of  walked  to 
the  bench  and  not  said  nothing  like  a  real  pitcher. 
But  what  does  he  do  but  wait  out  there  till  I 
start  for  the  box  and  I  says  Get  on  to  the  bench 
you  lucky  stiff  or  do  you  want  me  to  hand  you 
something'?  He  says  I  don't  want  nothing  more 
of  yourn.  I  allready  got  your  girl  and  your  goat. 

Well  Al  what  do  you  think  of  a  man  that  would 
say  a  thing  like  that?  And  nobody  but  a  left 


154  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

bander  could  of.  If  I  had  of  had  a  gun  I  would 
of  killed  him  deader  than  a  doornail  or  some- 
thing. He  starts  for  the  bench  and  I  hollered  at 
him  Wait  till  you  get  up  to  that  plate  and  then 
I  am  going  to  bean  you. 

Honest  Al  I  was  so  mad  I  could  not  see  the 
plate  or  nothing.  I  don't  even  know  who  it  was 
come  up  to  bat  1st  but  whoever  it  was  I  hit  him 
in  the  arm  and  he  walks  to  first  base.  The  next 
guy  bunts  and  Chase  tries  to  pull  off  i  of  them 
plays  of  hisn  instead  of  playing  safe  and  he  don't 
get  nobody.  Well  I  kept  getting  madder  and 
madder  and  I  walks  Stanage  who  if  I  had  of  been 
myself  would  not  foul  me. 

Callahan  has  Scotty  warming  up  and  Gleason 
runs  out  from  the  bench  and  tells  me  I  am  threw 
but  Callahan  says  Wait  a  minute  he  is  going  to 
let  Hill  hit  and  this  big  stiff  ought  to  be  able 
to  get  him  out  of  the  way  and  that  will  give 
Scotty  a  chance  to  get  warm.  Gleason  says  You 
better  not  take  a  chance  because  the  big  busher 
is  hogwild,  and  they  kept  argueing  till  I  got  sick 
of  listening  to  them  and  I  went  back  to  the  box 
and  got  ready  to  pitch.  But  when  I  seen  this  Hill 
up  there  I  forgot  all  about  the  ball  game  and  I 
cut  loose  at  his  bean. 

Well  Al  my  control  was  all  O.  K.  this  time  and 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     155 

I  catched  him  square  on  the  fourhead  and  he 
dropped  like  as  if  he  had  been  shot.  But  pretty 
soon  he  gets  up  and  gives  me  the  laugh  and  runs 
to  first  base.  I  did  not  know  the  game  was  over 
till  Weaver  come  up  and  pulled  me  off  the  field. 
But  if  I  had  not  of  been  J/£  starved  to  death  and 
weak  so  as  I  could  not  put  all  my  stuff  on  the  ball 
you  can  bet  that  Hill  never  would  of  ran  to  first 
base  and  Violet  would  of  been  a  widow  and 
probily  a  lot  better  off  than  she  is  now.  At  that 
I  never  should  ought  to  of  tried  to  kill  a  left- 
hander by  hitting  him  in  the  head. 

Well  Al  they  jumped  all  over  me  in  the  club- 
house and  I  had  to  hold  myself  back  or  I  would 
of  gave  somebody  the  beating  of  their  life.  Calla- 
han  tells  me  I  am  fined  $50.00  and  suspended 
without  no  pay.  I  asked  him  What  for  and  he 
says  They  would  not  be  no  use  in  telling  you 
because  you  have  not  got  no  brains.  I  says  Yes 
I  have  to  got  some  brains  and  he  says  Yes  but 
they  is  in  your  stumach.  And  then  he  says  I 
wish  we  had  of  sent  you  to  Milwaukee  and  I 
come  back  at  him.  I  says  I  wish  you  had  of. 

Well  Al  I  guess  they  is  no  chance  of  getting 
square  treatment  on  this  club  and  you  won't  be 
supprised  if  you  hear  of  me  jumping  to  the  Fed- 


156  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

erals  where  a  man  is  treated  like  a  man  and  not 
like  no  white  slave. 

LYours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  May  2. 

AL:  I  have  got  to  disappoint  you  again  AL 
When  I  got  up  to  get  my  pay  yesterday  they 
held  out  $150.00  on  me.  $50.00  of  it  is  what 
I  was  fined  for  loosing  a  1  to  o  lo-inning  game 
in  Detroit  when  I  was  so  weak  that  I  should  ought 
never  to  of  been  sent  in  there  and  the  $100.00 
is  the  advance  money  that  I  drawed  last  winter 
and  which  I  had  forgot  all  about  and  the  club 
would  of  forgot  about  it  to  if  they  was  not  so 
tight  fisted. 

So  you  see  all  I  get  for  2  weeks'  pay  is  about 
$80.00  and  I  sent  $25.00  to  Florrie  so  she  can't 
come  no  none  support  business  on  me. 

I  am  still  suspended  Al  and  not  drawing  no 
pay  now  and  I  got  a  notion  to  hire  a  attorney 
at  law  and  force  them  to  pay  my  salery  or  else 
jump  to  the  Federals  where  a  man  gets  good 
treatment. 

Allen  is  still  after  me  to  come  over  to  his  flat 
some  night  and  see  his  wife  and  let  her  talk  to 
me  about  Florrie  but  what  do  I  want  to  talk 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     157 

about  Florrie  for  or  talk  about  nothing  to  a  nut 
left  bander's  wife^ 

The  Detroit  Club  is  here  and  Cobb  is  playing 
because  he  knows  I  am  suspended  but  I  wish 
Callahan  would  call  it  off  and  let  me  work  against 
them  and  I  would  certainly  love  to  work  against 
this  Joe  Hill  again  and  I  bet  they  would  be  a 
different  story  this  time  because  I  been  getting 
something  to  eat  since  we  been  home  and  I  got 
back  most  of  my  strenth. 

Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  May  5. 
FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  if  you  been  reading  the 
papers  you  will  know  before  this  letter  is  received 
what  I  done.  Before  the  Detroit  Club  come  here 
Joe  Hill  had  win  4  strate  but  he  has  not  win  no 
5  strate  or  won't  neither  Al  because  I  put  a  crimp 
in  his  winning  streek  just  like  I  knowed  I  would 
do  if  I  got  a  chance  when  I  was  feeling  good 
and  had  all  my  strenth.  Callahan  asked  me  yes- 
terday A.  M.  if  I  thought  I  had  enough  rest  and 
I  says  Sure  because  I  did  not  need  no  rest  in  the 
ist  place.  Well,  he  says,  I  thought  maybe  if  I 
layed  you  off  a  few  days  you  would  do  some 
thinking  and  if  you  done  some  thinking  once  in 
a  while  you  would  be  a  better  pitcher. 


158  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Well  anyway  I  worked  and  I  wish  you  could 
of  saw  them  Tigers  trying  to  hit  me  Cobb  and 
Crawford  incluseive.  The  1st  time  Cobb  come 
up  Weaver  catched  a  lucky  line  drive  off  of  him 
and  the  next  time  I  eased  up  a  little  and  Collins 
run  back  and  took  a  fly  ball  off  of  the  fence.  But 
the  other  times  he  come  up  he  looked  like  a  sucker 
except  when  he  come  up  in  the  8th  and  then  he 
beat  out  a  bunt  but  allmost  anybody  is  liable  to 
do  that  once  in  a  while. 

Crawford  got  a  scratch  hit  between  Chase  and 
Blackburne  in  the  2d  inning  and  in  the  4th  he 
was  gave  a  three-base  hit  by  this  Evans  who 
should  ought  to  be  writeing  for  the  papers  in- 
stead of  trying  to  umpire.  The  ball  was  2  feet 
foul  and  I  bet  Crawford  will  tell  you  the  same 
thing  if  you  ask  him.  But  what  I  done  to  this 
Hill  was  awful.  I  give  him  my  curve  twice  when 
he  was  up  there  in  the  3d  and  he  missed  it  a 
foot.  Then  I  come  with  my  fast  ball  right  past 
his  nose  and  I  bet  if  he  had  not  of  ducked  it 
would  of  drove  that  big  horn  of  hisn  clear  up 
in  the  press  box  where  them  rotten  reporters  sits 
and  smokes  their  hops.  Then  when  he  was  look- 
ing for  another  fast  one  I  slopped  up  my  slow 
one  and  he  is  still  swinging  at  it  yet. 

But  the  best  of  it  was  that  I  practally  won 


A  NEW  BUSHER  BREAKS  IN     159 

my  own  game.  Bodie  and  Schalk  was  on  when 
I  come  up  in  the  5th  and  Hill  hollers  to  me  and 
says  I  guess  this  is  where  I  shoot  one  of  them 
bean  balls.  I  says  Go  ahead  and  shoot  and  if 
you  hit  me  in  the  head  and  I  ever  find  it  out  I 
will  write  and  tell  your  wife  what  happened  to 
you.  You  see  what  I  was  getting  at  Al.  I  was 
insinuateing  that  if  he  beaned  me  with  his  fast 
one  I  would  not  never  know  nothing  about  it  if 
somebody  did  not  tell  me  because  his  fast  one  is 
not  fast  enough  to  hurt  nobody  even  if  it  should 
hit  them  in  the  head.  So  I  says  to  him  Go  ahead 
and  shoot  and  if  you  hit  me  in  the  head  and  I 
ever  find  it  out  I  will  write  and  tell  your  wife 
what  happened  to  you.  See,  Al? 

Of  coarse  you  could  not  hire  me  to  write  to 
Violet  but  I  did  not  mean  that  part  of  it  in  ernest. 
Well  sure  enough  he  shot  at  my  bean  and  I  ducked 
out  of  the  way  though  if  it  had  of  hit  me  it  could 
not  of  did  no  more  than  tickle.  He  takes  2  more 
shots  and  misses  me  and  then  Jennings  hollers 
from  the  bench  What  are  you  doing  pitching  or 
trying  to  win  a  cigar?  So  then  Hill  sees  what 
a  monkey  he  is  makeing  out  of  himself  and  tries 
to  get  one  over,  but  I  have  him  3  balls  and  noth- 
ing and  what  I  done  to  that  groover  was  a  plenty. 
She  went  over  Bush's  head  like  a  bullet  and  got 


160  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

between  Cobb  and  Veach  and  goes  clear  to  the 
fence.  Bodie  and  Schalk  scores  and  I  would  of 
scored  to  if  anybody  else  besides  Cobb  had  of 
been  chaseing  the  ball.  I  got  2  bases  and  Weaver 
scores  me  with  another  wallop. 

Say,  I  wish  I  could  of  heard  what  they  said 
to  that  baby  on  the  bench.  Callahan  was  tickled 
to  death  and  he  says  Maybe  I  will  give  you  back 
that  $50.00  if  you  keep  that  stuff  up.  I  guess 
I  will  get  that  $50.00  back  next  pay  day  and  if 
I  do  Al  I  will  pay  you  the  hole  $75.00. 

Well  Al  I  beat  them  5  to  4  and  with  good 
support  I  would  of  held  them  to  l  run  but  what 
do  I  care  as  long  as  I  beat  them?  I  wish  though 
that  Violet  could  of  been  there  and  saw  it. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  May  29. 

OLD  PAL:  Well  Al  I  have  not  wrote  to  you 
for  a  long  while  but  it  is  not  because  I  have  for- 
got you  and  to  show  I  have  not  forgot  you  I  am 
incloseing  the  $75.00  which  I  owe  you.  It  is  a 
money  order  Al  and  you  can  get  it  cashed  by 
takeing  it  to  Joe  Higgins  at  the  P.  O. 

Since  I  wrote  to  you  Al  I  been  East  with  the 
club  and  I  guess  you  know  what  I  done  in  the 
East.  The  Athaletics  did  not  have  no  right  to 


A  NEW  BUSHER  BREAKS  IN     161 

win  that  i  game  off  of  me  and  I  will  get  them 
when  they  come  here  the  week  after  next.  I 
beat  Boston  and  just  as  good  as  beat  New  York 
twice  because  I  beat  them  1  game  all  alone  and 
then  saved  the  other  for  Eddie  Cicotte  in  the 
9th  inning  and  shut  out  the  Washington  Club 
and  would  of  did  the  same  thing  if  Johnson  had 
of  been  working  against  me  instead  of  this  left 
handed  stiff  Boehling. 

Speaking  of  left  handers  Allen  has  been  going 
rotten  and  I  would  not  be  supprised  if  they  sent 
him  to  Milwaukee  or  Frisco  or  somewheres. 

But  I  got  bigger  news  than  that  for  you  Al. 
Florrie  is  back  and  we  are  liveing  together  in 
the  spair  room  at  Allen's  flat  so  I  hope  they  don't 
send  him  to  Milwaukee  or  nowheres  else  because 
it  is  not  costing  us  nothing  for  room  rent  and 
this  is  no  more  than  right  after  the  way  the  Aliens 
grafted  off  of  us  all  last  winter. 

I  bet  you  will  be  supprised  to  know  that  I  and 
Florrie  has  made  it  up  and  they  is  a  secret  about 
it  Al  which  I  can't  tell  you  now  but  maybe  next 
month  I  will  tell  you  and  then  you  will  be  more 
supprised  than  ever.  It  is  about  I  and  Florrie 
and  somebody  else.  But  that  is  all  I  can  tell 
you  now. 

We  got  in  this  A.  M.  Al  and  when  I  got  to  my 


162  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

room  they  was  a  slip  of  paper  there  telling  me 
to  call  up  a  phone  number  so  I  called  it  up  and 
it  was  Allen's  flat  and  Marie  answered  the  phone. 
And  when  I  reckonized  her  voice  I  was  going  to 
hang  up  the  phone  but  she  says  Wait  a  minute 
somebody  wants  to  talk  with  you.  And  then 
Florrie  come  to  the  phone  and  I  was  going  to 
hang  up  the  phone  again  when  she  pulled  this 
secret  on  me  that  I  was  telling  you  about. 

So  it  is  all  fixed  up  between  us  Al  and  I  wish 
I  could  tell  you  the  secret  but  that  will  come 
later.  I  have  tooken  my  baggage  over  to  Allen's 
and  I  am  there  now  writeing  to  you  while  Florrie 
is  asleep.  And  after  a  while  I  am  going  out  and 
mail  this  letter  and  get  a  glass  of  beer  because  I 
think  I  have  got  1  comeing  now  on  account  of 
this  secret.  Florrie  says  she  is  sorry  for  the  way 
she  treated  me  and  she  cried  when  she  seen  me. 
So  what  is  the  use  of  me  being  nasty  Al?  And 
let  bygones  be  bygones. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois \  June  16. 

FRIEND  AL:     Al  I  beat  the  Athaletics  2  to  i 

to-day  but  I  am  writeing  to  you  to  give  you  the 

supprise  of  your  life.     Old  pal  I  got  a  baby  and 

he  is  a  boy  and  we  are  going  to  name  him  Allen 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     163 

which  Florrie  thinks  is  after  his  uncle  and  aunt 
Allen  but  which  is  after  you  old  pal.  And  she 
can  call  him  Allen  but  I  will  call  him  Al  because 
I  don't  never  go  back  on  my  old  pals.  The  baby 
was  born  over  to  the  hospital  and  it  is  going  to 
cost  me  a  bunch  of  money  but  I  should  not  worry. 
This  is  the  secret  I  was  going  to  tell  you  Al  and 
I  am  the  happyest  man  in  the  world  and  I  bet 
you  are  most  as  tickled  to  death  to  hear  about  it 
as  I  am. 

The  baby  was  born  just  about  the  time  I  was 
makeing  Mclnnis  look  like  a  sucker  in  the  pinch 
but  they  did  not  tell  me  nothing  about  it  till  after 
the  game  and  then  they  give  me  a  phone  messige 
in  the  clubhouse.  I  went  right  over  there  and 
everything  was  all  O.  K.  Little  Al  is  a  homely 
little  skate  but  I  guess  all  babys  is  homely  and 
don't  have  no  looks  till  they  get  older  and  maybe 
he  will  look  like  Florrie  or  I  then  I  won't  have 
no  kick  comeing. 

Be  sure  and  tell  Bertha  the  good  news  and 
tell  her  everything  has  came  out  all  right  except 
that  the  rent  man  is  still  after  me  about  that 
flat  I  had  last  winter.  And  I  am  still  paying  the 
old  man  $10.00  a  month  for  that  house  you  got 
for  me  and  which  has  not  never  done  me  no  good. 
But  I  should  not  worry  about  money  when  I  got 


164  .  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

a  real  family.  Do  you  get  that  Al,  a  real  family? 
Well  Al  I  am  to  happy  to  do  no  more  write- 
ing  to-night  but  I  wanted  you  to  be  the  1st  to 
get  the  news  and  I  would  of  sent  you  a  telegram 
only  I  did  not  want  to  scare  you. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  July  2. 

OLD  PAL  :  Well  old  pal  I  just  come  back  from 
St.  Louis  this  A.  M.  and  found  things  in  pretty 
fare  shape.  Florrie  and  the  baby  is  out  to  Allen's 
and  we  will  stay  there  till  I  can  find  another 
place.  The  Dr.  was  out  to  look  at  the  baby  this 
A.  M.  and  the  baby  was  waveing  his  arm  round 
in  the  air.  And  Florrie  asked  was  they  some- 
thing the  matter  with  him  that  he  kept  waveing 
his  arm.  And  the  Dr.  says  No  he  was  just  get- 
ting his  exercise. 

Well  Al  I  noticed  that  he  never  waved  his 
right  arm  but  kept  waveing  his  left  arm  and  I 
asked  the  Dr.  why  was  that.  Then  the  Dr.  says 
I  guess  he  must  be  left  handed.  That  made  me 
sore  and  I  says  I  guess  you  doctors  don't  know 
it  all.  And  then  I  turned  round  and  beat  it  out 
of  the  room. 

Well  Al  it  would  be  just  my  luck  to  have  him 
left  handed  and  Florrie  should  ought  to  of  knew 


A  NEW  BUSKER  BREAKS  IN     165 

better  than  to  name  him  after  Allen.  I  am  going 
to  hire  another  Dr.  and  see  what  he  has  to  say 
because  they  must  be  some  way  of  fixing  babys 
so  as  they  won't  be  left  handed.  And  if  nessary  I 
will  cut  his  left  arm  off  of  him.  Of  coarse  I 
would  not  do  that  Al.  But  how  would  I  feel  if 
a  boy  of  mine  turned  out  like  Allen  and  Joe  Hill 
and  some  of  them  other  nuts? 

We  have  a  game  with  St.  Louis  to-morrow  and 
a  double  header  on  the  4th  of  July.  I  guess 
probily  Callahan  will  work  me  in  one  of  the  4th 
of  July  games  on  account  of  the  holiday  crowd. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  Maybe  I  should  ought  to  leave  the  kid 
left  handed  so  as  he  can  have  some  of  their  luck. 
The  lucky  stiffs. 


CHAPTER  V 


Chicago^  Illinois,  July  j/. 

FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  what  do  you  think  of 
little  Al  now?  But  I  guess  I  better  tell  you 
first  what  he  done.  Maybe  you  won't  believe 
what  I  am  telling  you  but  did  you  ever  catch  me 
telling  you  a  lie  ?  I  guess  you  know  you  did  not 
Al.  Well  we  got  back  from  the  East  this  A.  M. 
and  I  don't  have  to  tell  you  we  had  a  rotten 
trip  and  if  it  had  not  of  been  for  me  beating 
Boston  once  and  the  Athaletics  two  times  we 
would  of  been  ashamed  to  come  home. 

I  guess  these  here  other  pitchers  thought  we 
was  haveing  a  vacation  and  when  they  go  up  in 
the  office  to-morrow  to  get  there  checks  they 
should  ought  to  be  arrested  if  they  take  them.  I 
would  not  go  nowheres  near  Comiskey  if  I  had  not 
of  did  better  than  them  others  but  I  can  go  and 
get  my  pay  and  feel  all  O.  K.  about  it  because 
I  done  something  to  ern  it. 

Me  loseing  that  game  in  Washington  was  a 
166 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  167 

crime  and  Callahan  says  so  himself.  This  here 
Weaver  throwed  it  away  for  me  and  I  would  not 
be  surprised  if  he  done  it  from  spitework  because 
him  and  Scott  is  pals  and  probily  he  did  not  want 
to  see  me  winning  all  them  games  when  Scott 
was  getting  knocked  out  of  the  box.  And  no 
wonder  when  he  has  not  got  no  stuff.  I  wish  I 
knowed  for  sure  that  Weaver  was  throwing  me 
down  and  if  I  knowed  for  sure  I  would  put  him 
in  a  hospital  or  somewheres. 

But  I  was  going  to  tell  you  what  the  kid  done 
Al.  So  here  goes.  We  are  still  liveing  at  Allen's 
and  his  wife.  So  I  and  him  come  home  together 
from  the  train.  Well  Florrie  and  Marie  was  both 
up  and  the  baby  was  up  too — that  is  he  was  not 
up  but  he  was  woke  up.  I  beat  it  right  into  the 
room  where  he  was  at  and  Florrie  come  in  with 
me.  I  says  Hello  Al  and  what  do  you  suppose 
he  done.  Well  Al  he  did  not  say  Hello  pa  or 
nothing  like  that  because  he  is  not  only  one  month 
old.  But  he  smiled  at  me  just  like  as  if  he  was 
glad  to  see  me  and  I  guess  maybe  he  was  at  that. 

I  was  tickled  to  death  and  I  says  to  Florrie 
Did  you  see  that.  And  she  says  See  what.  I  says 
The  baby  smiled  at  me.  Then  she  says  They  is 
something  the  matter  with  his  stumach.  I  says 
I  suppose  because  a  baby  smiles  that  is  a  sign  they 


i68  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

is  something  the  matter  with  his  stumach  and  if 
he  had  the  toothacke  he  would  laugh.  She  says 
You  think  your  smart  but  I  am  telling  you  that 
he  was  not  smileing  at  all  but  he  was  makeing  a 
face  because  they  is  something  the  matter  with 
his  stumach.  I  says  I  guess  I  know  the  difference 
if  somebody  is  smileing  or  makeing  a  face.  And 
she  says  I  guess  you  don't  know  nothing  about 
babys  because  you  never  had  none  before.  I  says 
How  many  have  you  had.  And  then  she  got  sore 
and  beat  it  out  of  the  room. 

I  did  not  care  because  I  wanted  to  be  in  there 
alone  with  him  and  see  would  he  smile  at  me 
again.  And  sure  enough  Al  he  did.  Then  I 
called  Allen  in  and  when  the  baby  seen  him  he 
begin  to  cry.  So  you  see  I  was  right  and  Florrie 
was  wrong.  It  don't  take  a  man  no  time  at  all 
to  get  wise  to  these  babys  and  it  don't  take  them 
long  to  know  if  a  man  is  there  father  or  there 
uncle. 

When  he  begin  to  cry  I  chased  Allen  out  of 
the  room  and  called  Florrie  because  she  should 
ought  to  know  by  this  time  how  to  make  him  stop 
crying.  But  she  was  still  sore  and  she  says  Let 
him  cry  or  if  you  know  so  much  about  babys  make 
him  stop  yourself.  I  says  Maybe  he  is  sick.  And 
she  says  I  was  just  telling  you  that  he  had  a  pane 


THE  BUSHER'S  KID  169 

in  his  stumach  or  he  would  not  of  made  that 
face  that  you  said  was  smileing  at  you. 

I  says  Do  you  think  we  should  ought  to  call 
the  doctor  but  she  says  No  if  you  call  the  doctor 
every  time  he  has  the  stumach  acke  you  might 
just  as  well  tell  him  he  should  bring  his  trunk 
along  and  stay  here.  She  says  All  babys  have 
collect  and  they  is  not  no  use  fusing  about  it  but 
come  and  get  your  breakfast. 

Well  Al  I  did  not  injoy  my  breakfast  because 
the  baby  was  crying  all  the  time  and  I  knowed 
he  probily  wanted  I  should  come  in  and  visit  with 
him.  So  I  just  eat  the  prunes  and  drunk  a  little 
coffee  and  did  not  wait  for  the  rest  of  it  and  sure 
enough  when  I  went  back  in  our  room  and  started 
talking  to  him  he  started  smileing  again  and  pretty 
soon  he  went  to  sleep  so  you  see  Al  he  was  smile- 
ing and  not  makeing  no  face  and  that  was  a  hole 
lot  of  bunk  about  him  haveing  the  collect.  But 
I  don't  suppose  I  should  ought  to  find  fault  with 
Florrie  for  not  knowing  no  better  because  she 
has  not  never  had  no  babys  before  but  still  and 
all  I  should  think  she  should  ought  to  of  learned 
something  about  them  by  this  time  or  ask  some- 
body. 

Well  Al  little  Al  is  woke  up  again  and  is  crying 
and  I  just  about  got  time  to  fix  him  up  and  get 


YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

him  asleep  again  and  then  I  will  have  to  go  to 
the  ball  park  because  we  got  a  poseponed  game 
to  play  with  Detroit  and  Callahan  will  probily 
want  me  to  work  though  I  pitched  the  next  to 
the  last  game  in  New  York  and  would  of  gave 
them  a  good  beating  except  for  Schalk  dropping 
that  ball  at  the  plate  but  I  got  it  on  these  Detroit 
babys  and  when  my  name  is  announced  to  pitch 
they  feel  like  forfiting  the  game.  I  won't  try 
for  no  strike  out  record  because  I  want  them  to 
hit  the  first  ball  and  get  the  game  over  with  quick 
so  as  I  can  get  back  here  and  take  care  of  little  AL 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  Babys  is  great  stuff  Al  and  if  I  was 
you  I  would  not  wait  no  longer  but  would  hurry 
up  and  adopt  l  somewheres. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  August  15. 
OLD  PAL  :  What  do  you  think  Al.  Kid  Glea- 
son  is  comeing  over  to  the  flat  and  look  at  the 
baby  the  day  after  to-morrow  when  we  don't  have 
no  game  skeduled  but  we  have  to  practice  in  the 
A.  M.  because  we  been  going  so  rotten.  I  had  a 
hard  time  makeing  him  promise  to  come  but  he 
is  comeing  and  I  bet  he  will  be  glad  he  come  when 
he  has  came.  I  says  to  him  in  the  clubhouse  Do 


THE  BUSHER'S  KID  171 

you  want  to  see  a  real  baby*?  And  he  says  You're 
real  enough  for  me  Boy. 

I  says  No  I  am  talking  about  babys.  He  says 
Oh  I  thought  you  was  talking  about  ice  cream 
soda  or  something.  I  says  No  I  want  you  to  come 
over  to  the  flat  to-morrow  and  take  a  look  at 
my  kid  and  tell  me  what  you  think  of  him.  He 
says  I  can  tell  you  what  I  think  of  him  without 
takeing  no  look  at  him.  I  think  he  is  out  of  luck. 
I  says  What  do  you  mean  out  of  luck.  But  he 
just  laughed  and  would  not  say  no  more. 

I  asked  him  again  would  he  come  over  to  the 
flat  and  look  at  the  baby  and  he  says  he  had 
troubles  enough  without  that  and  kidded  along 
for  a  while  but  finally  he  seen  I  was  in  ernest 
and  then  he  says  he  would  come  if  I  would  keep 
the  missus  out  of  the  room  while  he  was  there 
because  he  says  if  she  seen  him  she  would  probily 
be  sorry  she  married  me. 

He  was  just  jokeing  and  I  did  not  take  no 
excepshun  to  his  remarks  because  Florrie  could 
not  never  fall  for  him  after  seeing  me  because 
he  is  not  no  big  stropping  man  like  I  am  but  a 
little  runt  and  look  at  how  old  he  is.  But  I  am 
glad  he  is  comeing  because  he  will  think  more  of 
me  when  he  sees  what  a  fine  baby  I  got  though 
he  thinks  a  hole  lot  of  me  now  because  look  what 


172  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

I  done  for  the  club  and  where  would  they  be  at 
if  I  had  jumped  to  the  Federal  like  I  once  thought 
I  would.  I  will  tell  you  what  he  says  about  little 
Al  and  I  bet  he  will  say  he  never  seen  no  prettyer 
baby  but  even  if  he  don't  say  nothing  at  all  I 
will  know  he  is  kidding. 

The  Boston  Club  comes  here  to-morrow  and 
plays  4  days  includeing  the  day  after  to-morrow 
when  they  is  not  no  game.  So  on  account  of  the 
off  day  maybe  I  will  work  twice  against  them  and 
if  I  do  they  will  wish  the  grounds  had  of  burned 
down.  Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  August  77. 

AL:  Well  old  pal  what  did  I  tell  you  about 
what  I  would  do  to  that  Boston  Club?  And  now 
Al  I  have  beat  every  club  in  the  league  this  year 
because  yesterday  was  the  first  time  I  beat  the 
Boston  Club  this  year  but  now  I  have  beat  all 
of  them  and  most  of  them  severel  times. 

This  should  ought  to  of  gave  me  a  record  of 
16  wins  and  o  defeats  because  the  only  games  I 
lost  was  throwed  away  behind  me  but  instead  of 
that  my  record  is  10  games  win  and  6  defeats  and 
that  don't  include  the  games  I  finished  up  and 
helped  the  other  boys  win  which  is  about  6  more 
alltogether  but  what  do  I  care  about  my  record 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  173 

Al?  because  I  am  not  the  kind  of  man  that  is 
allways  thinking  about  there  record  and  play- 
ing for  there  record  while  I  am  satisfied  if  I  give 
the  club  the  best  I  got  and  if  I  win  all  O.  K. 
And  if  I  lose  who's  fault  is  it.  Not  mine  Al. 

I  asked  Callahan  would  he  let  me  work  against 
the  Boston  Club  again  before  they  go  away  and 
he  says  I  guess  I  will  have  to  because  you  are 
going  better  than  anybody  else  on  the  club.  So 
you  see  Al  he  is  beginning  to  appresiate  my  work 
and  from  now  on  I  will  pitch  in  my  regular  turn 
and  a  hole  lot  ofltener  then  that  and  probily 
Comiskey  will  see  the  stuff  I  am  made  from  and 
will  raise  my  salery  next  year  even  if  he  has  got 
me  signed  for  3  years  and  for  the  same  salery  I 
am  getting  now. 

But  all  that  is  not  what  I  was  going  to  tell 
you  Al  and  what  I  was  going  to  tell  you  was 
about  Gleason  comeing  to  see  the  baby  and  what 
he  thought  about  him.  I  sent  Florrie  and  Marie 
downtown  and  says  I  would  take  care  of  little  Al 
and  they  was  glad  to  go  because  Florrie  says  she 
should  ought  to  buy  some  new  shoes  though  I 
don't  see  what  she  wants  of  no  new  shoes  when 
she  is  going  to  be  tied  up  in  the  flat  for  a  long  time 
yet  on  account  of  the  baby  and  nobody  cares  if 
she  wears  shoes  in  the  flat  or  goes  round  in  her 


174  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

bear  feet.  But  I  was  glad  to  get  rid  of  the  both 
of  them  for  a  while  because  little  Al  acts  better 
when  they  is  not  no  women  round  and  you  can't 
blame  him. 

The  baby  was  woke  up  when  Gleason  come 
in  and  I  and  him  went  right  in  the  room  where 
he  was  laying.  Gleason  takes  a  look  at  him  and 
says  Well  that  is  a  mighty  fine  baby  and  you 
must  of  boughten  him.  I  says  What  do  you 
mean?  And  he  says  I  don't  believe  he  is  your 
own  baby  because  he  looks  humaner  than  most 
babys.  And  I  says  Why  should  not  he  look 
human.  And  he  says  Why  should  he. 

Then  he  goes  to  work  and  picks  the  baby  right 
up  and  I  was  a-scared  he  would  drop  him  because 
even  I  have  not  never  picked  him  up  though  I 
am  his  father  and  would  be  a-scared  of  hurting 
him.  I  says  Here,  don't  pick  him  up  and  he  says 
Why  not?  He  says  Are  you  going  to  leave  him 
on  that  there  bed  the  rest  of  his-  life?  I  says  No 
but  you  don't  know  how  to  handle  him.  He  says 
I  have  handled  a  hole  lot  bigger  babys  than  him 
or  else  Callahan  would  not  keep  me. 

Then  he  starts  patting  the  baby's  head  and  I 
says  Here,  don't  do  that  because  he  has  got  a 
soft  spot  in  his  head  and  you  might  hit  it.  He 
says  I  thought  he  was  your  baby  and  I  says  Well 


THE  RUSHER'S  KID  175 

he  is  my  baby  and  he  says  Well  then  they  can't 
be  no  soft  spot  in  his  head.  Then  he  lays  little 
Al  down  because  he  seen  I  was  in  ernest  and  as 
soon  as  he  lays  him  down  the  baby  begins  to  cry. 
Then  Gleason  says  See  he  don't  want  me  to  lay 
him  down  and  I  says  Maybe  he  has  got  a  pane  in 
his  stumach  and  he  says  I  would  not  be  supposed 
because  he  just  took  a  good  look  at  his  father. 

Rut  little  Al  did  not  act  like  as  if  he  had  a 
pane  in  his  stumach  and  he  kept  sticking  his  finger 
in  his  mouth  and  crying.  And  Gleason  says  He 
acts  like  as  if  he  had  a  toothacke.  I  says  How 
could  he  have  a  toothacke  when  he  has  not  got 
no  teeth  ?  He  says  That  is  easy.  I  have  saw  a 
lot  of  pitchers  complane  that  there  arm  was  sore 
when  they  did  not  have  no  arm. 

Then  he  asked  me  what  was  the  baby's  name 
and  I  told  him  Allen  but  that  he  was  not  named 
after  my  brother-in-law  Allen.  And  Gleason  says 
I  should  hope  not.  I  should  hope  you  would  have 
better  sense  then  to  name  him  after  a  left  hander. 
So  you  see  Al  he  don't  like  them  no  better  then 
I  do  even  if  he  does  jolly  Allen  and  Russell  along 
and  make  them  think  they  can  pitch. 

Pretty  soon  he  says  What  are  you  going  to 
make  out  of  him,  a  ball  player?  I  says  Yes  I  am 
going  to  make  a  hitter  out  of  him  so  as  he  can 


176  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

join  the  White  Sox  and  then  maybe  they  will  get 
a  couple  of  runs  once  in  a  while.  He  says  If  I 
was  you  I  would  let  him  pitch  and  then  you  won't 
have  to  give  him  no  educasion.  Besides,  he  says, 
he  looks  now  like  he  would  divellop  into  a  grate 
spitter. 

Well  I  happened  to  look  out  of  the  window 
and  seen  Florrie  and  Marie  comeing  acrost  In- 
diana Avenue  and  I  told  Gleason  about  it.  And 
you  ought  to  of  seen  him  run.  I  asked  him  what 
was  his  hurry  and  he  says  it  was  in  his  contract 
that  he  was  not  to  talk  to  no  women  but  I  knowed 
he  was  kidding  because  I  allready  seen  him  talk- 
ing to  severel  of  the  players'  wifes  when  they  was 
on  trips  with  us  and  they  acted  like  as  if  they 
thought  he  was  a  regular  comeedion  though  they 
really  is  not  nothing  funny  about  what  he  says 
only  it  is  easy  to  make  women  laugh  when  they 
have  not  got  no  grouch  on  about  something. 

Well  Al  I  am  glad  Gleason  has  saw  the  baby 
and  maybe  he  will  fix  it  with  Callahan  so  as  I 
won't  have  to  go  to  morning  practice  every  A.  M. 
because  I  should  ought  to  be  home  takeing  care 
of  little  Al  when  Florrie  is  washing  the  dishs  or 
helping  Marie  round  the  house.  And  besides  why 
should  I  wear  myself  all  out  in  practice  because 
I  don't  need  to  practice  pitching  and  I  could  hit 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  177 

as  well  as  the  rest  of  the  men  on  our  club  if  I 
never  seen  no  practice. 

After  we  get  threw  with  Boston,  Washington 
comes  here  and  then  we  go  to  St.  Louis  and  Cleve- 
land and  then  come  home  and  then  go  East  again. 
And  after  that  we  are  pretty  near  threw  except  the 
city  serious.  Callahan  is  not  going  to  work  me 
no  more  after  I  beat  Boston  again  till  it  is  this 
here  Johnson's  turn  to  pitch  for  Washington.  And 
I  hope  it  is  not  his  turn  to  work  the  1st  game  of 
the  serious  because  then  I  would  not  have  no  rest 
between  the  last  game  against  Boston  and  the  1st 
game  against  Washington. 

But  rest  or  no  rest  I  will  work  against  this 
here  Johnson  and  show  him  up  for  giveing  me 
that  trimming  in  Washington,  the  lucky  stiff.  I 
wish  I  had  a  team  like  the  Athaletics  behind  me 
and  I  would  loose  about  1  game  every  6  years 
and  then  they  would  have  to  get  all  the  best  of 
it  from  these  rotten  umpires. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

New  York,  New  York,  September  16. 

FRIEND  AL  :    Al  it  is  not  no  fun  running  round 

the  country  no  more  and  I  wish  this  dam  trip 

was  over  so  as  I  could  go  home  and  see  how  little 

Al  is  getting  along  because  Florrie  has  not  wrote 


178  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

since  we  was  in  Philly  which  was  the  first  stop 
on  this  trip.  I  am  a-scared  they  is  something  the 
matter  with  the  little  fellow  or  else  she  would  of 
wrote  but  then  if  they  was  something  the  matter 
with  him  she  would  of  sent  me  a  telegram  or 
something  and  let  me  know. 

So  I  guess  they  can't  be  nothing  the  matter 
with  him.  Still  and  all  I  don't  see  why  she  has 
not  wrote  when  she  knows  or  should  ought  to 
know  that  I  would  be  worrying  about  the  baby. 
If  I  don't  get  no  letter  to-morrow  I  am  going  to 
send  her  a  telegram  and  ask  her  what  is  the  mat- 
ter with  him  because  I  am  positive  she  would  of 
wrote  if  they  was  not  something  the  matter  with 
him. 

The  boys  has  been  trying  to  get  me  to  go  out 
nights  and  see  a  show  or  something  but  I  have 
not  got  no  heart  to  go  to  shows.  And  besides 
Callahan  has  not  gave  us  no  pass  to  no  show 
on  this  trip.  I  guess  probily  he  is  sore  on  account 
of  the  rotten  way  the  club  has  been  going  but 
still  he  should  ought  not  to  be  sore  on  me  because 
I  have  win  3  out  of  my  last  4  games  and  would 
of  win  the  other  if  he  had  not  of  started  me 
against  them  with  only  1  day's  rest  and  the  Atha- 
letics  at  that,  who  a  man  should  ought  not  to 
pitch  against  if  he  don't  feel  good. 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  179 

I  asked  Allen  if  he  had  heard  from  Marie  and 
he  says  Yes  he  did  but  she  did  not  say  nothing 
about  little  Al  except  that  he  was  keeping  her 
awake  nights  balling.  So  maybe  Al  if  little  Al 
is  balling  they  is  something  wrong  with  him.  I 
am  going  to  send  Florrie  a  telegram  to-morrow 
— that  is  if  I  don't  get  no  letter. 

If  they  is  something  the  matter  with  him  I  will 
ask  Callahan  to  send  me  home  and  he  won't  want 
to  do  it  neither  because  who  else  has  he  got  that 
is  a  regular  winner.  But  if  little  Al  is  sick  and 
Callahan  won't  let  me  go  home  I  will  go  home 
anyway.  You  know  me  Al. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Boston,  Massachusetts,  September  24. 
AL:  I  bet  if  Florrie  was  a  man  she  would 
be  a  left  hander.  What  do  you  think  she  done 
now  Al*?  I  sent  her  a  telegram  from  New  York 
when  I  did  not  get  no  letter  from  her  and  she  did 
not  pay  no  atension  to  the  telegram.  Then  when 
we  got  up  here  I  sent  her  another  telegram  and 
it  was  not  more  then  five  minutes  after  I  sent  the 
2d  telegram  till  I  got  a  letter  from  her.  And  it 
said  the  baby  was  all  O.  K.  but  she  had  been  so 
busy  takeing  care  of  him  that  she  had  not  had 
no  time  to  write. 


i8o  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Well  when  I  got  the  letter  I  chased  out  to  see 
if  I  could  catch  the  boy  who  had  took  my  tele- 
gram but  he  had  went  allready  so  I  was  spending 
$.60  for  nothing.  Then  what  does  Florrie  do  but 
send  me  a  telegram  after  she  got  my  second  tele- 
gram and  tell  me  that  little  Al  is  all  O.  K.,  which 
I  knowed  all  about  then  because  I  had  just  got 
her  letter.  And  she  sent  her  telegram  c.  o.  d.  and 
I  had  to  pay  for  it  at  this  end  because  she  had 
not  paid  for  it  and  that  was  $.60  more  but  I  bet 
if  I  had  of  knew  what  was  in  the  telegram  before 
I  read  it  I  would  of  told  the  boy  to  keep  it  and 
would  not  of  gave  him  no  $.60  but  how  did  I 
know  if  little  Al  might  not  of  tooken  sick  after 
Florrie  had  wrote  the  letter? 

I  am  going  to  write  and  ask  her  if  she  is  trying 
to  send  us  both  to  the  Poor  House  or  somewheres 
with  her  telegrams.  I  don't  care  nothing  about 
the  $.60  but  I  like  to  see  a  woman  use  a  little 
judgement  though  I  guess  that  is  impossable. 

It  is  my  turn  to  work  to-day  and  to-night  we 
start  West  but  we  have  got  to  stop  off  at  Cleve- 
land on  the  way.  I  have  got  a  nosion  to  ask  Calla- 
han  to  let  me  go  right  on  threw  to  Chi  if  I  win 
to-day  and  not  stop  off  at  no  Cleveland  but  I 
guess  they  would  not  be  no  use  because  I  have  got 
that  Cleveland  Club  licked  the  minute  I  put  on 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  181 

my  glove.  So  probily  Callahan  will  want  me 
with  him  though  it  don't  make  no  difference  if 
we  win  or  lose  now  because  we  have  not  got  no 
chance  for  the  pennant.  One  man  can't  win  no 
pennant  Al  I  don't  care  who  he  is. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  2. 

FRIEND  AL  :  Well  old  pal  I  am  all  threw  till 
the  city  serious  and  it  is  all  fixed  up  that  I  am 
going  to  open  the  serious  and  pitch  3  of  the  games 
if  nessary.  The  club  has  went  to  Detroit  to  wind 
up  the  season  and  Callahan  did  not  take  me  along 
but  left  me  here  with  a  couple  other  pitchers  and 
Billy  Sullivan  and  told  me  all  as  I  would  have 
to  do  was  go  over  to  the  park  the  next  3  days  and 
warm  up  a  little  so  as  to  keep  in  shape.  But  I 
don't  need  to  be  in  no  shape  to  beat  them  Cubs 
Al.  But  it  is  a  good  thing  Al  that  Allen  was 
tooken  on  the  trip  to  Detroit  or  I  guess  I  would 
of  killed  him.  He  has  not  been  going  good  and 
he  has  been  acting  and  talking  nasty  to  every- 
body because  he  can't  win  no  games. 

Well  the  1st  night  we  was  home  after  the  trip 
little  Al  was  haveing  a  bad  night  and  was  balling 
pretty  hard  and  they  could  not  nobody  in  the 
flat  get  no  sleep.  Florrie  says  he  was  haveing 


182  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

the  collect  and  I  says  Why  should  he  have  the 
collect  all  the  time  when  he  did  not  drink  nothing 
but  milk?  She  says  she  guessed  the  milk  did  not 
agree  with  him  and  upsetted  his  stumaoh.  I  says 
Well  he  must  take  after  his  mother  if  his  stumach 
gets  upsetted  every  time  he  takes  a  drink  because 
if  he  took  after  his  father  he  could  drink  a  hole 
lot  and  not  never  be  effected.  She  says  You 
should  ought  to  remember  he  has  only  got  a  little 
stumach  and  not  a  great  big  resservoire.  I  says 
Well  if  the  milk  don't  agree  with  him  why  don't 
you  give  him  something  else?  She  says  Yes  I 
suppose  I  should  ought  to  give  him  weeny  worst 
or  something. 

Allen  must  of  heard  us  talking  because  he  hol- 
lered something  and  I  did  not  hear  what  it  was 
so  I  told  him  to  say  it  over  and  he  says  Give  the 
little  X-eyed  brat  poison  and  we  would  all  be 
better  off.  I  says  You  better  take  poison  your- 
self because  maybe  a  rotten  pitcher  like  you  could 
get  by  in  the  league  where  you're  going  when 
you  die.  Then  I  says  Besides  I  would  rather  my 
baby  was  X-eyed  then  to  have  him  left  handed. 
He  says  It  is  better  for  him  that  he  is  X-eyed  or 
else  he  might  get  a  good  look  at  you  and  then 
he  would  shoot  himself.  I  says  Is  that  so?  and 
he  shut  up.  Little  Al  is  not  no  more  X-eyed  than 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  183 

you  or  I  are  Al  and  that  was  what  made  me  sore 
because  what  right  did  Allen  have  to  talk  like 
that  when  he  knowed  he  was  lying? 

Well  the  next  morning  Allen  nor  I  did  not 
speak  to  each  other  and  I  seen  he  was  sorry  for 
the  way  he  had  talked  and  I  was  willing  to  fix 
things  up  because  what  is  the  use  of  staying  sore 
at  a  man  that  don't  know  no  better. 

But  all  of  a  sudden  he  says  When  are  you 
going  to  pay  me  what  you  owe  me?  I  says  What 
do  you  mean?  And  he  says  You  been  liveing  here 
all  summer  and  I  been  paying  all  the  bills.  I 
says  Did  not  you  and  Marie  ask  us  to  come  here 
and  stay  with  you  and  it  would  not  cost  us  noth- 
ing. He  says  Yes  but  we  did  not  mean  it  was  a 
life  sentence.  You  are  getting  more  money  than 
me  and  you  don't  never  spend  a  nichol.  All  I 
have  to  do  is  pay  the  rent  and  buy  your  food  and 
it  would  take  a  millionare  or  something  to  feed 
you. 

Then  he  says  I  would  not  make  no  holler  about 
you  grafting  off  of  me  if  that  brat  would  shut 
up  nights  and  give  somebody  a  chance  to  sleep. 
I  says  You  should  ought  to  get  all  the  sleep  you 
need  on  the  bench.  Besides,  I  says,  who  done 
the  grafting  all  last  winter  and  without  no  inva- 
tation?  If  he  had  of  said  another  word  I  was 


184  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

going  to  bust  him  but  just  then  Marie  come  in 
and  he  shut  up. 

The  more  I  thought  about  what  he  said  and 
him  a  rotten  left  hander  that  should  ought  to 
be  hussling  freiht  the  more  madder  I  got  and  if 
he  had  of  opened  his  head  to  me  the  last  day  or 
2  before  he  went  to  Detroit  I  guess  I  would  of 
finished  him.  But  Marie  stuck  pretty  close  to 
the  both  of  us  when  we  was  together  and  I  guess 
she  knowed  they  was  something  in  the  air  and 
did  not  want  to  see  her  husband  get  the  worst 
of  it  though  if  he  was  my  husband  and  I  was  a 
woman  I  would  push  him  under  a  st.  car. 

But  Al  I  won't  even  stand  for  him  saying  that 
I  am  grafting  off  of  him  and  I  and  Florrie  will 
get  away  from  here  and  get  a  flat  of  our  own 
as  soon  as  the  city  serious  is  over.  I  would  like 
to  bring  her  and  the  kid  down  to  Bedford  for  the 
winter  but  she  wont  listen  to  that. 

I  allmost  forgot  Al  to  tell  you  to  be  sure  and 
thank  Bertha  for  the  little  dress  she  made  for 
little  Al.  I  don't  know  if  it  will  fit  him  or  not 
because  Florrie  has  not  yet  tried  it  on  him  yet 
and  she  says  she  is  going  to  use  it  for  a  dishrag 
but  I  guess  she  is  just  kidding. 

I  suppose  you  seen  where  Callahan  took  me  out 
of  that  game  down  to  Cleveland  but  it  was  not 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  185 

because  I  was  not  going  good  Al  but  it  was  be- 
cause Callahan  seen  he  was  makeing  a  mistake 
wasteing  me  on  that  bunch  who  allmost  any 
pitcher  could  beat.  They  beat  us  that  game  at 
that  but  only  by  one  run  and  it  was  not  no  fault 
of  mine  because  I  was  tooken  out  before  they  got 
the  run  that  give  them  the  game. 

Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  4. 

FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al'  the  club  winds  up  the 
season  at  Detroit  to-morrow  and  the  serious  starts 
the  day  after  to-morrow  and  I  will  be  in  there 
giveing  them  a  battle.  I  wish  I  did  not  have  no- 
body but  the  Cubs  to  pitch  against  all  season  and 
you  bet  I  would  have  a  record  that  would  make 
Johnson  and  Mathewson  and  some  of  them  other 
swell  heads  look  like  a  dirty  doose. 

I  and  Florrie  and  Marie  has  been  haveing  a 
argument  about  how  could  Florrie  go  and  see  the 
city  serious  games  when  they  is  not  nobody  here 
that  can  take  care  of  the  baby  because  Marie 
wants  to  go  and  see  the  games  to  even  though 
they  is  not  no  more  chance  of  Callahan  starting 
Allen  than  a  rabbit  or  something. 

Florrie  and  Marie  says  I  should  ought  to  hire 
a  nurse  to  take  care  of  little  Al  and  Florrie  got 


i86  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

pretty  sore  when  I  told  her  nothing  doing  be- 
cause in  the  first  place  I  can't  afford  to  pay  no 
nurse  a  salery  and  in  the  second  place  I  would 
not  trust  no  nurse  to  take  care  of  the  baby  because 
how  do  I  know  the  nurse  is  not  nothing  but  a 
grafter  or  a  dope  fiend  maybe  and  should  ought 
not  to  be  left  with  the  baby? 

Of  coarse  Florrie  wants  to  see  me  pitch  and  a 
man  can't  blame  her  for  that  but  I  won't  leave 
my  baby  with  'no  nurse  Al  and  Florrie  will  have 
to  stay  home  and  I  will  tell  her  what  I  done  when 
I  get  there.  I  might  of  gave  my  consent  to  have- 
ing  a  nurse  at  that  if  it  had  not  of  been  for  the 
baby  getting  so  sick  last  night  when  I  was  takeing 
care  of  him  while  Florrie  and  Marie  and  Allen 
was  out  to  a  show  and  if  I  had  not  of  been  home 
they  is  no  telling  what  would  of  happened.  It 
is  a  cinch  that  none  of  them  bonehead  nurses 
would  of  knew  what  to  do. 

Allen  must  of  been  out  of  his  head  because 
right  after  supper  he  says  he  would  take  the  2 
girls  to  a  show.  I  says  All  right  go  on  and  I 
will  take  care  of  the  baby.  Then  Florrie  says 
Do  you  think  you  can  take  care  of  him  all  O.  K.  ? 
And  I  says  Have  not  I  tooken  care  of  him  before 
allready?  Well,  she  says,  I  will  leave  him  with 
you  only  don't  run  in  to  him  every  time  he  cries. 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  187 

I  says  Why  not?  And  she  says  Because  it  is  good 
for  him  to  cry.  I  says  You  have  not  got  no  heart 
or  you  would  not  talk  that  way. 

They  all  give  me  the  laugh  but  I  let  them  get 
away  with  it  because  I  am  not  picking  no  fights 
with  girls  and  why  should  I  bust  this  Allen  when 
he  don't  know  no  better  and  has  not  got  no  baby 
himself.  And  I  did  not  want  to  do  nothing  that 
would  stop  him  takeing  the  girls  to  a  show  be- 
cause it  is  time  he  spent  a  peace  of  money  on 
somebody. 

Well  they  all  went  out  and  I  went  in  on  the 
bed  and  played  with  the  baby.  I  wish  you  could 
of  saw  him  Al  because  he  is  old  enough  now  to 
do  stunts  and  he  smiled  up  at  me  and  waved  his 
arms  and  legs  round  and  made  a  noise  like  as  if 
he  was  trying  to  say  Pa.  I  did  not  think  Florrie 
had  gave  him  enough  covers  so  I  rapped  him  up 
in  some  more  and  took  a  blanket  off  of  the  big 
bed  and  stuck  it  round  him  so  as  he  could  not  kick 
his  feet  out  and  catch  cold. 

I  thought  once  or  twice  he  was  going  off  to 
sleep  but  all  of  a  sudden  he  begin  to  cry  and  I 
seen  they  was  something  wrong  with  him.  I  gave 
him  some  hot  water  but  that  made  him  cry  again 
and  I  thought  maybe  he  was  to  cold  yet  so  I  took 
another  blanket  off  of  Allen's  bed  and  wrapped 


i88  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

that  round  him  but  he  kept  on  crying  and  trying 
to  kick  inside  the  blankets.  And  I  seen  then  that 
he  must  have  collect  or  something. 

So  pretty  soon  I  went  to  the  phone  and  called 
up  our  regular  Dr.  and  it  took  him  pretty  near  a 
hour  to  get  there  and  the  baby  balling  all  the 
time.  And  when  he  come  he  says  they  was  noth- 
ing the  matter  except  that  the  baby  was  to  hot 
and  told  me  to  take  all  them  blankets  off  of  him 
and  then  soaked  me  2  dollars.  I  had  a  nosion  to 
bust  his  jaw.  Well  pretty  soon  he  beat  it  and 
then  little  Al  begin  crying  again  and  kept  getting 
worse  and  worse  so  finally  I  got  a-scared  and  run 
down  to  the  corner  where  another  Dr.  is  at  and  I 
brung  him  up  to  see  what  was  the  matter  but  he 
said  he  could  not  see  nothing  the  matter  but  he 
did  not  charge  me  a  cent  so  I  thought  he  was  not 
no  robber  like  our  regular  doctor  even  if  he  was 
just  as  much  of  a  boob. 

The  baby  did  not  cry  none  while  he  was  there 
but  the  minute  he  had  went  he  started  crying  and 
balling  again  and  I  seen  they  was  not  no  use  of 
fooling  no  longer  so  I  looked  around  the  house 
and  found  the  medicine  the  doctor  left  for  Allen 
when  he  had  a  stumach  acke  once  and  I  give  the 
baby  a  little  of  it  in  a  spoon  but  I  guess  he  did 
not  like  the  taste  because  he  hollered  like  a  Indian 


THE  RUSHER'S  KID  189 

and  finally  I  could  not  stand  it  no  longer  so  I 
called  that  second  Dr.  back  again  and  this  time 
he  seen  that  the  baby  was  sick  and  asked  me  what 
I  had  gave  it  and  I  told  him  some  stumach  medi- 
cine and  he  says  I  was  a  fool  and  should  ought  not 
to  of  gave  the  baby  nothing.  Rut  while  he  was 
talking  the  baby  stopped  crying  and  went  off  to 
sleep  so  you  see  what  I  done  for  him  was  the  right 
thing  to  do  and  them  doctors  was  both  off  of  there 
nut. 

This  second  Dr.  soaked  me  2  dollars  the  2d 
time  though  he  had  not  did  no  more  than  when  he 
was  there  the  1st  time  and  charged  me  nothing 
but  they  is  all  a  bunch  of  robbers  Al  and  I  would 
just  as  leave  trust  a  policeman. 

Right  after  the  baby  went  to  sleep  Florrie  and 
Marie  and  Allen  come  home  and  I  told  Florrie 
what  had  came  off  but  instead  of  giveing  me  credit 
she  says  If  you  want  to  kill  him  why  don't 
you  take  a  ax*?  Then  Allen  butts  in  and  says 
Why  don't  you  take  a  ball  and  throw  it  at  him? 
Then  I  got  sore  and  I  says  Well  if  I  did  hit  him 
with  a  ball  I  would  kill  him  while  if  you  was 
to  throw  that  fast  ball  of  yours  at  him  and  hit 
him  in  the  head  he  would  think  the  musketoes 
was  biteing  him  and  brush  them  off.  Rut  at  that, 


igo  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

I  says,  you  could  not  hit  him  with  a  ball  except 
you  was  aiming  at  something  else. 

I  guess  they  was  no  comeback  to  that  so  him 
and  Marie  went  to  there  room.  Allen  should 
ought  to  know  better  than  to  try  and  get  the  best 
of  me  by  this  time  and  I  would  shut  up  anyway 
if  I  was  him  after  getting  sent  home  from  De- 
troit with  some  of  the  rest  of  them  when  he  only 
worked  3  innings  up  there  and  they  had  to  take 
him  out  or  play  the  rest  of  the  game  by  electrick 
lights. 

I  wish  you  could  be  here  for  the  serious  Al 
but  you  would  have  to  stay  at  a  hotel  because 
we  have  not  got  no  spair  room  and  it  would  cost 
you  a  hole  lot  of  money.  But  you  can  watch  the 
papers  and  you  will  see  what  I  done. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  6. 

DEAR  OLD  PAL:  Probily  before  you  get  this 
letter  you  will  of  saw  by  the  paper  that  we  was 
licked  in  the  first  game  and  that  I  was  tooken  out 
but  the  papers  don't  know  what  really  come  off 
so  I  am  going  to  tell  you  and  you  can  see  for 
yourself  if  it  was  my  fault. 

I  did  not  never  have  no  more  stuff  in  my  life 
then  when  I  was  warming  up  and  I  seen  the  Cubs 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  191 

looking  over  to  our  bench  and  shakeing  there 
heads  like  they  knowed  they  did  not  have  no 
chance.  O'Day  was  going  to  start  Cheney  who 
is  there  best  bet  and  had  him  warming  up  but 
when  he  seen  the  smoke  I  had  when  I  and  Schalk 
was  warming  up  he  changed  his  mind  because 
what  was  the  use  of  useing  his  best  pitcher  when 
I  had  all  that  stuff  and  it  was  a  cinch  that  no 
club  in  the  world  could  score  a  run  off  of  me  when 
I  had  all  that  stuff*? 

So  he  told  a  couple  others  to  warm  up  to  and 
when  my  name  was  announced  to  pitch  Cheney 
went  and  set  on  the  bench  and  this  here  left- 
hander Pierce  was  announced  for  them. 

Well  Al  you  will  see  by  the  paper  where  I  sent 
there  1st  3  batters  back  to  the  bench  to  get  a  drink 
of  water  and  all  3  of  them  good  hitters  Leach 
and  Good  and  this  here  Saier  that  hits  a  hole  lot 
of  home  runs  but  would  not  never  hit  one  off  of 
me  if  I  was  O.  K.  Well  we  scored  a  couple  in 
our  half  and  the  boys  on  the  bench  all  says  Now 
you  got  enough  to  win  easy  because  they  won't 
never  score  none  off  of  you. 

And  they  was  right  to  because  what  chance 
did  they  have  if  this  thing  that  I  am  going  to 
tell  you  about  had  not  of  happened1?  We  goes 
along  seven  innings  and  only  2  of  there  men 


192  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

had  got  to  1st  base  one  of  them  on  a  bad  peg  of 
Weaver's  and  the  other  one  I  walked  because  this 
blind  Evans  don't  know  a  ball  from  a  strike.  We 
had  not  did  no  more  scoreing  off  of  Pierce  not 
because  he  had  no  stuff  but  because  our  club  could 
not  take  a  ball  in  there  hands  and  hit  it  out  of  the 
infield. 

Well  Al  I  did  not  tell  you  that  before  I  come 
out  to  the  park  I  kissed  little  Al  and  Florrie  good 
by  and  Marie  says  she  was  going  to  stay  home 
to  and  keep  Florrie  Co.  and  they  was  not  no 
reason  for  Marie  to  come  to  the  game  anyway 
because  they  was  not  a  chance  in  the  world  for 
Allen  to  do  nothing  but  hit  fungos.  Well  while 
I  was  doing  all  this  here  swell  pitching  and  make- 
ing  them  Cubs  look  like  a  lot  of  rummys  I  was 
thinking  about  little  Al  and  Florrie  and  how  glad 
they  would  be  when  I  come  home  and  told  them 
what  I  done  though  of  coarse  little  Al  is  not  only 
a  little  over  3  months  of  age  and  how  could  he 
appresiate  what  I  done4?  But  Florrie  would. 

Well  Al  when  I  come  in  to  the  bench  after  there 
]/2  of  the  yth  I  happened  to  look  up  to  the  press 
box  to  see  if  the  reporters  had  gave  Schulte  a 
hit  on  that  one  Weaver  throwed  away  and  who 
do  you  think  I  seen  in  a  box  right  alongside  of 
the  press  box?  It  was  Florrie  and  Marie  and 


THE  RUSHER'S  KID  193 

both  of  them  claping  there  hands  and  hollering 
with  the  rest  of  the  bugs. 

Well  old  pal  I  was  never  so  supposed  in  my 
life  and  it  just  took  all  the  heart  out  of  me.  What 
was  they  doing  there  and  what  had  they  did  with 
the  baby?  How  did  I  know  that  little  Al  was 
not  sick  or  maybe  dead  and  balling  his  head  off 
and  nobody  round  to  hear  him"? 

I  tried  to  catch  Florrie's  eyes  but  she  would 
not  look  at  me.  I  hollered  her  name  and  the  bugs 
looked  at  me  like  as  if  I  was  crazy  and  I  was  to 
Al.  Well  I  seen  they  was  not  no  use  of  standing 
out  there  in  front  of  the  stand  so  I  come  into  the 
bench  and  Allen  was  setting  there  and  I  says  Did 
you  know  your  wife  and  Florrie  was  up  there  in 
the  stand?  He  says  No  and  I  says  What  are 
they  doing  here  ?  And  he  says  What  would  they 
be  doing  here — mending  there  stockings?  I  felt 
like  busting  him  and  I  guess  he  seen  I  was  mad 
because  he  got  up  off  of  the  bench  and  beat  it 
down  to  the  corner  of  the  field  where  some  of 
the  others  was  getting  warmed  up  though  why 
should  they  have  anybody  warming  up  when  I 
was  going  so  good? 

Well  Al  I  made  up  my  mind  that  ball  game  or 
no  ball  game  I  was  not  going  to  have  little  Al 
left  alone  no  longer  and  I  seen  they  was  not  no 


194  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

use  of  sending  word  to  Florrie  to  go  home  be- 
cause they  was  a  big  crowd  and  it  would  take 
maybe  15  or  20  minutes  for  somebody  to  get  up 
to  where  she  was  at.  So  I  says  to  Callahan  You 
have  got  to  take  me  out.  He  says  What  is  the 
matter?  Is  your  arm  gone?  I  says  No  my  arm 
is  not  gone  but  my  baby  is  sick  and  home  all  alone. 
He  says  Where  is  your  wife?  And  I  says  She 
is  setting  up  there  in  the  stand. 

Then  he  says  How  do  you  know  your  baby  is 
sick?  And  I  says  I  don't  know  if  he  is  sick  or 
not  but  he  is  left  home  all  alone.  He  says  Why 
don't  you  send  your  wife  home?  And  I  says  I 
could  not  get  word  to  her  in  time.  He  says  Well 
you  have  only  got  two  innings  to  go  and  the  way 
your  going  the  game  will  be  over  in  10  minutes. 
I  says  Yes  and  before  10  minutes  is  up  my  baby 
might  die  and  are  you  going  to  take  me  out  or 
not?  He  says  Get  in  there  and  pitch  you  yellow 
dog  and  if  you  don't  I  will  take  your  share  of 
the  serious  money  away  from  you. 

By  this  time  our  part  of  the  inning  was  over 
and  I  had  to  go  out  there  and  pitch  some  more 
because  he  would  not  take  me  out  and  he  has 
not  got  no  heart  Al.  Well  Al  how  could  I  pitch 
when  I  kept  thinking  maybe  the  baby  was  dying 
right  now  and  maybe  if  I  was  home  I  could  do 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  195 

something?  And  instead  of  paying  attension  to 
what  I  was  doing  I  was  thinking  about  little  Al 
and  looking  up  there  to  where  Florrie  and  Marie 
was  setting  and  before  I  knowed  what  come  off 
they  had  the  bases  full  and  Callahan  took  me  out. 

Well  Al  I  run  to  the  clubhouse  and  changed 
my  cloths  and  beat  it  for  home  and  I  did  not  even 
hear  what  Callahan  and  Gleason  says  to  me  when 
I  went  by  them  but  I  found  out  after  the  game 
that  Scott  went  in  and  finished  up  and  they  batted 
him  pretty  hard  and  we  was  licked  3  and  2. 

When  I  got  home  the  baby  was  crying  but  he 
was  not  all  alone  after  all  Al  because  they  was 
a  little  girl  about  14  years  of  age  there  watching 
him  and  Florrie  had  hired  her  to  take  care  of  him 
so  as  her  and  Marie  could  go  and  see  the  game. 
But  just  think  Al  of  leaveing  little  Al  with  a  girl 
14  years  of  age  that  did  not  never  have  no  babys 
of  her  own !  And  what  did  she  know  about  take- 
ing  care  of  him?  Nothing  Al. 

You  should  ought  to  of  heard  me  ball  Florrie 
out  when  she  got  home  and  I  bet  she  cried  pretty 
near  enough  to  flood  the  basemunt.  We  had  it 
hot  and  heavy  and  the  Aliens  butted  in  but  I  soon 
showed  them  where  they  was  at  and  made  them 
shut  there  mouth. 

I  had  a  good  nosion  to  go  out  and  get  a  hole 


196  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

lot  of  drinks  and  was  just  going  to  put  on  my 
hat  when  the  doorbell  rung  and  there  was  Kid 
Gleason.  I  thought  he  would  be  sore  and  probily 
try  to  ball  me  out  and  I  was  not  going  to  stand 
for  nothing  but  instead  of  balling  me  out  he 
come  and  shook  hands  with  me  and  interduced 
himself  to  Florrie  and  asked  how  was  little  AL 

Well  we  all  set  down  and  Gleason  says  the 
club  was  depending  on  me  to  win  the  serious 
because  I  was  in  the  best  shape  of  all  the  pitchers. 
And  besides  the  Cubs  could  not  never  hit  me  when 
I  was  right  and  he  was  telling  the  truth  to. 

So  he  asked  me  if  I  would  stand  for  the  club 
hireing  a  train  nurse  to  stay  with  the  baby  the 
rest  of  the  serious  so  as  Florrie  could  go  and  see 
her  husband  win  the  serious  but  I  says  No  I 
would  not  stand  for  that  and  Florrie's  place  was 
with  the  baby. 

So  Gleason  and  Florrie  goes  out  in  the  other 
room  and  talks  a  while  and  I  guess  he  was  per- 
suadeing  her  to  stay  home  because  pretty  soon 
they  come  back  in  the  room  and  says  it  was  all 
fixed  up  and  I  would  not  have  to  worry  about  lit- 
tle Al  the  rest  of  the  serious  but  could  give  the 
club  the  best  I  got.  Gleason  just  left  here  a 
little  while  ago  and  I  won't  work  to-morrow  Al 
but  I  will  work  the  day  after  and  you  will  see 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  197 

what  I  can  do  when  I  don't  have  nothing  to  worry 
me.  Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  8. 

OLD  PAL:  Well  old  pal  we  got  them  2  games 
to  one  now  and  the  serious  is  sure  to  be  over  in 
three  more  days  because  I  can  pitch  2  games  in 
that  time  if  nessary.  I  shut  them  out  to-day  and 
they  should  ought  not  to  of  had  four  hits  but 
should  ought  to  of  had  only  2  but  Bodie  don't 
cover  no  ground  and  2  fly  balls  that  he  should 
ought  to  of  eat  up  fell  safe. 

But  I  beat  them  anyway  and  Benz  beat  them 
yesterday  but  why  should  he  not  beat  them  when 
the  club  made  6  runs  for  him?  All  they  made 
for  me  was  three  but  all  I  needed  was  one  be- 
cause they  could  not  hit  me  with  a  shuvvel.  When 
I  come  to  the  bench  after  the  5th  inning  they  was 
a  note  there  for  me  from  the  boy  that  answers 
the  phone  at  the  ball  park  and  it  says  that  some- 
body just  called  up  from  the  flat  and  says  the 
baby  was  asleep  and  getting  along  fine.  So  I  felt 
good  Al  and  I  was  better  then  ever  in  the  6th. 

When  I  got  home  Florrie  and  Marie  was  both 
there  and  asked  me  how  did  the  game  come  out 
because  I  beat  Allen  home  and  I  told  them  all 
about  what  I  done  and  I  bet  Florrie  was  proud 


198  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

of  me  but  I  supose  Marie  is  a  little  jellus  because 
how  could  she  help  it  when  Callahan  is  depending 
on  me  to  win  the  serious  and  her  husband  is  wear- 
ing out  the  wood  on  the  bench?  But  why  should 
she  be  sore  when  it  is  me  that  is  winning  the 
serious  for  them?  And  if  it  was  not  for  me  Allen 
and  all  the  rest  of  them  would  get  about  $500.00 
apeace  instead  of  the  winners'  share  which  is 
about  $750.00  apeace. 

Cicotte  is  going  to  work  to-morrow  and  if  he  is 
lucky  maybe  he  can  get  away  with  the  game  and 
that  will  leave  me  to  finish  up  the  day  after  to- 
morrow but  if  nessary  I  can  go  in  to-morrow  when 
they  get  to  hitting  Cicotte  and  stop  them  and  then 
come  back  the  following  day  and  beat  them  again. 
Where  would  this  club  be  at  Al  if  I  had  of 
jumped  to  the  Federal? 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  if. 

FRIEND  AL  :  We  done  it  again  Al  and  I  guess 
the  Cubs  won't  never  want  to  play  us  again  not 
so  long  as  I  am  with  the  club.  Before  you  get 
this  letter  you  will  know  what  we  done  and  who 
done  it  but  probily  you  could  of  guessed  that  Al 
without  seeing  no  paper. 

I  got  2  more  of  them  phone  messiges  about  the 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  199 

baby  dureing  the  game  and  I  guess  that  was  what 
made  me  so  good  because  I  knowed  then  that 
Florrie  was  takeing  care  of  him  but  I  could  not 
help  feeling  sorry  for  Florrie  because  she  is  a  bug 
herself  and  it  must  of  been  pretty  hard  for  her  to 
stay  away  from  the  game  espesially  when  she 
knowed  I  was  going  to  pitch  and  she  has  been 
pretty  good  to  sacrifice  her  own  plesure  for  lit- 
tle Al. 

Cicotte  was  knocked  out  of  the  box  the  day 
before  yesterday  and  then  they  give  this  here 
Faber  a  good  beating  but  I  wish  you  could  of 
saw  what  they  done  to  Allen  when  Callahan  sent 
him  in  after  the  game  was  gone  allready.  Honest 
Al  if  he  had  not  of  been  my  brother  in  law  I 
would  of  felt  like  laughing  at  him  because  it 
looked  like  as  if  they  would  have  to  call  the  fire 
department  to  put  the  side  out.  They  had  Bodie 
and  Collins  hollering  for  help  and  with  there 
tongue  hanging  out  from  running  back  to  the 
fence. 

Anyway  the  serious  is  all  over  and  I  won't  have 
nothing  to  do  but  stay  home  and  play  with  little 
Al  but  I  don't  know  yet  where  my  home  is  going 
to  be  at  because  it  is  a  cinch  I  won't  stay  with 
Allen  no  longer.  He  has  not  came  home  since 
the  game  and  I  suppose  he  is  out  somewheres 


200  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

lapping  up  some  beer  and  spending  some  of  the 
winner's  share  of  the  money  which  he  would  not 
of  had  no  chance  to  get  in  on  if  it  had  not  of  been 
for  me. 

I  will  write  and  let  you  know  my  plans  for  the 
winter  and  I  wish  Florrie  would  agree  to  come 
to  Bedford  but  nothing  doing  Al  and  after  her 
staying  home  and  takeing  care  of  the  baby  in- 
stead of  watching  me  pitch  I  can't  be  too  hard  on 
her  but  must  leave  her  have  her  own  way  about 
something.  Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  7j. 

AL  :  I  am  all  threw  with  Florrie  Al  and  I  bet 
when  you  hear  about  it  you  won't  say  it  was  not 
no  fault  of  mine  but  no  man  liveing  who  is  any 
kind  of  a  man  would  act  different  from  how  I  am 
acting  if  he  had  of  been  decieved  like  I  been. 

Al  Florrie  and  Marie  was  out  to  all  them  games 
and  was  not  home  takeing  care  of  the  baby  at 
all  and  it  is  not  her  fault  that  little  Al  is  not  dead 
and  that  he  was  not  killed  by  the  nurse  they  hired 
to  take  care  of  him  while  they  went  to  the  games 
when  I  thought  they  was  home  takeing  care  of 
the  baby.  And  all  them  phone  messiges  was  just 
fakes  and  maybe  the  baby  was  sick  all  the  time 
I  was  winning  them  games  and  balling  his  head 


THE  BUSHER'S  KID  201 

off  instead  of  being  asleep  like  they  said  he  was. 

Allen  did  not  never  come  home  at  all  the  night 
before  last  and  when  he  come  in  yesterday  he 
was  a  sight  and  I  says  to  him  Where  have  you 
been?  And  he  says  I  have  been  down  to  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  but  that  is  not  none  of  your  business. 
I  says  Yes  you  look  like  as  if  you  had  been  to 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  I  know  where  you  have  been 
and  you  have  been  out  lushing  beer.  And  he  says 
Suppose  I  have  and  what  are  you  going  to  do 
about  it?  And  I  says  Nothing  but  you  should 
ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself  and  leaveing 
Marie  here  while  you  was  out  lapping  up  beer. 

Then  he  says  Did  you  not  leave  Florrie  home 
while  you  was  getting  away  with  them  games, 
you  lucky  stiff?  And  I  says  Yes  but  Florrie  had 
to  stay  home  and  take  care  of  the  baby  but  Marie 
don't  never  have  to  stay  home  because  where  is 
your  baby?  You  have  not  got  no  baby.  He  says 
I  would  not  want  no  X-eyed  baby  like  yourn. 
Then  he  says  So  you  think  Florrie  stayed  to  home 
and  took  care  of  the  baby  do  you?  And  I  says 
What  do  you  mean?  And  he  says  You  better 
ask  her. 

So  when  Florrie  come  in  and  heard  us  talking 
she  busted  out  crying  and  then  I  found  out  what 
they  put  over  on  me.  It  is  a  wonder  Al  that  I 


202  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

did  not  take  some  of  that  cheap  furniture  them 
Aliens  got  and  bust  it  over  there  heads,  Allen 
and  Florrie.  This  is  what  they  done  AL  The 
club  give  Florrie  $50.00  to  stay  home  and  take 
care  of  the  baby  and  she  said  she  would  and  she 
was  to  call  up  every  so  often  and  tell  me  the  baby 
was  all  O.  K.  But  this  here  Marie  told  her  she 
was  a  sucker  so  she  hired  a  nurse  for  part  of  the 
$50.00  and  then  her  and  Marie  went  to  the  games 
and  beat  it  out  quick  after  the  games  was  over 
and  come  home  in  a  taxicab  and  chased  the  nurse 
out  before  I  got  home. 

Well  Al  when  I  found  out  what  they  done  I 
grabbed  my  hat  and  goes  out  and  got  some  drinks 
and  I  was  so  mad  I  did  not  know  where  I  was  at 
or  what  come  off  and  I  did  not  get  home  till  this 
A.  M.  And  they  was  all  asleep  and  I  been  asleep 
all  day  and  when  I  woke  up  Marie  and  Allen 
was  out  but  Florrie  and  I  have  not  spoke  to  each 
other  and  I  won't  never  speak  to  her  again. 

But  I  know  now  what  I  am  going  to  do  Al  and 
I  am  going  to  take  little  Al  and  beat  it  out  of  here 
and  she  can  sew  me  for  a  bill  of  divorce  and  I 
should  not  worry  because  I  will  have  little  Al 
and  I  will  see  that  he  is  tooken  care  of  because  I 
guess  I  can  hire  a  nurse  as  well  as  they  can  and  I 
will  pick  out  a  train  nurse  that  knows  something. 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  203 

Maybe  I  and  him  and  the  nurse  will  come  to 
Bedford  Al  but  I  don't  know  yet  and  I  will  write 
and  tell  you  as  soon  as  I  make  up  my  mind.  Did 
you  ever  hear  of  a  man  getting  a  rottener  deal 
Al?  And  after  what  I  done  in  the  serious  too. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  77. 

OLD  PAL  :  I  and  Florrie  has  made  it  up  Al  but 
we  are  threw  with  Marie  and  Allen  and  I  and 
Florrie  and  the  baby  is  staying  at  a  hotel  here 
on  Cottage  Grove  Avenue  the  same  hotel  we  was 
at  when  we  got  married  only  of  coarse  they  was 
only  the  2  of  us  then. 

And  now  Al  I  want  to  ask  you  a  favor  and  that 
is  for  you  to  go  and  see  old  man  Cutting  and  tell 
him  I  want  to  ree-new  the  lease  on  that  house  for 
another  year  because  I  and  Florrie  has  decided 
to  spend  the  winter  in  Bedford  and  she  will  want 
to  stay  there  and  take  care  of  little  Al  while  I 
am  away  on  trips  next  summer  and  not  stay  in 
no  high-price  flat  up  here.  And  may  be  you  and 
Bertha  can  help  her  round  the  house  when  I  am 
not  there. 

I  will  tell  you  how  we  come  to  fix  things  up 
Al  and  you  will  see  that  I  made  her  apollojize 
to  me  and  after  this  she  will  do  what  I  tell  her 


204  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

to  and  won't  never  try  to  put  nothing  over.  We 
was  eating  breakfast — I  and  Florrie  and  Marie. 
Allen  was  still  asleep  yet  because  I  guess  he  must 
of  had  a  bad  night  and  he  was  snoreing  so  as  you 
could  hear  him  in  the  next  st.  I  was  not  saying 
nothing  to  nobody  but  pretty  soon  Florrie  says 
to  Marie  I  don't  think  you  and  Allen  should  ought 
to  kick  on  the  baby  crying  when  Allen's  snoreing 
makes  more  noise  than  a  hole  wagonlode  of  babys. 
And  Marie  got  sore  and  says  I  guess  a  man  has  got 
a  right  to  snore  in  his  own  house  and  you  and 
Jack  has  been  grafting  off  of  us  long  enough. 

Then  Florrie  says  What  did  Allen  do  to  help 
win  the  serious  and  get  that  $750.00?  Nothing 
but  set  on  the  bench  except  when  they  was  make- 
ing  him  look  like  a  sucker  the  i  inning  he  pitched. 
The  trouble  with  you  and  Allen  is  you  are  jellous 
of  what  Jack  has  did  and  you  know  he  will  be  a 
star  up  here  in  the  big  league  when  Allen  is  tend- 
ing bar  which  is  what  he  should  ought  to  be  doing 
because  then  he  could  get  stewed  for  nothing. 

Marie  says  Take  your  brat  and  get  out  of  the 
house.  And  Florrie  says  Don't  you  worry  because 
we  would  not  stay  here  no  longer  if  you  hired 
us.  So  Florrie  went  in  her  room  and  I  followed 
her  in  and  she  says  Let's  pack  up  and  get  out. 

Then  I  says  Yes  but  we  won't  go  nowheres 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  205 

together  after  what  you  done  to  me  but  you  can 
go  where  you  dam  please  and  I  and  little  Al  will 
go  to  Bedford.  Then  she  says  You  can't  take  the 
baby  because  he  is  mine  and  if  you  was  to  take 
him  I  would  have  you  arrested  for  kidnaping. 
Besides,  she  says,  what  would  you  feed  him  and 
who  would  take  care  of  him? 

I  says  I  would  find  somebody  to  take  care  of 
him  and  I  would  get  him  food  from  a  resturunt. 
She  says  He  can't  eat  nothing  but  milk  and  I  says 
Well  he  has  the  collect  all  the  time  when  he  is 
eating  milk  and  he  would  not  be  no  worse  off  if 
he  was  eating  watermelon.  Well,  she  says,  if 
you  take  him  I  will  have  you  arrested  and  sew 
you  for  a  bill  of  divorce  for  dessertion. 

Then  she  says  Jack  you  should  not  ought  to 
find  no  fault  with  me  for  going  to  them  games 
because  when  a  woman  has  a  husband  that  can 
pitch  like  you  can  do  you  think  she  wants  to  stay 
home  and  not  see  her  husband  pitch  when  a  lot  of 
other  women  is  cheering  him  and  makeing  her 
feel  proud  because  she  is  his  wife? 

Well  Al  as  I  said  right  along  it  was  pretty  hard 
on  Florrie  to  have  to  stay  home  and  I  could  not 
hardly  blame  her  for  wanting  to  be  out  there 
where  she  could  see  what  I  done  so  what  was  the 
use  of  argueing? 


206  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

So  I  told  her  I  would  think  it  over  and  then 
I  went  out  and  I  went  and  seen  a  attorney  at 
law  and  asked  him  could  I  take  little  Al  away 
and  he  says  No  I  did  not  have  no  right  to  take 
him  away  from  his  mother  and  besides  it  would 
probily  kill  him  to  be  tooken  away  from  her  and 
then  he  soaked  me  $10.00  the  robber. 

Then  I  went  back  and  told  Florrie  I  would  give 
her  another  chance  and  then  her  and  I  packed 
up  and  took  little  Al  in  a  taxicab  over  to  this 
hotel.  We  are  threw  with  the  Aliens  Al  and  let 
me  know  right  away  if  I  can  get  that  lease  for 
another  year  because  Florrie  has  gave  up  and  will 
go  to  Bedford  or  anywheres  else  with  me  now. 
Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Chicago,  Illinois,  October  20. 
FRIEND  AL  :  Old  pal  I  won't  never  forget  your 
kindnus  and  this  is  to  tell  you  that  I  and  Florrie 
except  your  kind  invatation  to  come  and  stay 
with  you  till  we  can  find  a  house  and  I  guess  you 
won't  regret  it  none  because  Florrie  will  livun 
things  up  for  Bertha  and  Bertha  will  be  crazy 
about  the  baby  because  you  should  ought  to  see 
how  cute  he  is  now  Al  and  not  yet  four  months 
old.  But  I  bet  he  will  be  talking  before  we  know 
it. 


THE  BUSKER'S  KID  207 

We  are  comeing  on  the  train  that  leaves  here 
at  noon  Saturday  Al  and  the  train  leaves  here 
about  12  o'clock  and  I  don't  know  what  time  it 
gets  to  Bedford  but  it  leaves  here  at  noon  so  we 
shall  be  there  probily  in  time  for  supper. 

I  wish  you  would  ask  Ben  Smith  will  he  have 
a  hack  down  to  the  deepo  to  meet  us  but  I  won't 
pay  no  more  than  $.25  and  I  should  think  he 
should  ought  to  be  glad  to  take  us  from  the  deepo 
to  your  house  for  nothing. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

P.  S.  The  train  we  are  comeing  on  leaves  here 
at  noon  Al  and  will  probily  get  us  there  in  time 
for  a  late  supper  and  I  wonder  if  Bertha  would 
have  spair  ribs  and  crout  for  supper.  You  know 
me  AL 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE 

Chicago,  III.,  Oct.  18. 

FRIEND  AL:  I  guess  may  be  you  will  begin 
to  think  I  dont  never  do  what  I  am  going  to 
do  and  that  I  change  my  mind  a  hole  lot  because 
I  wrote  and  told  you  that  I  and  Florrie  and  little 
Al  would  be  in  Bedford  to-day  and  here  we  are 
in  Chi  yet  on  the  day  when  I  told  you  we  would 
get  to  Bedford  and  I  bet  Bertha  and  you  and  the 
rest  of  the  boys  will  be  dissapointed  but  Al  I  dont 
feel  like  as  if  I  should  ought  to  leave  the  White 
Sox  in  a  hole  and  that  is  why  I  am  here  yet  and 
I  will  tell  you  how  it  come  off  but  in  the  1st  place 
I  want  to  tell  you  that  it  wont  make  a  diffrence 
of  more  then  5  or  6  or  may  be  7  days  at  least  and 
we  will  be  down  there  and  see  you  and  Bertha  and 
the  rest  of  the  boys  just  as  soon  as  the  N.  Y.  giants 
and  the  White  Sox  leaves  here  and  starts  a  round 
the  world.  All  so  I  remember  I  told  you  to  fix 
it  up  so  as  a  hack  would  be  down  to  the  deepo 
to  meet  us  to-night  and  you  wont  get  this  letter 

208 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    209 

in  time  to  tell  them  not  to  send  no  hack  so  I  supose 
the  hack  will  be  there  but  may  be  they  will  be 
some  body  else  that  gets  off  of  the  train  that  will 
want  the  hack  and  then  every  thing  will  be  all 
O.  K.  but  if  they  is  not  nobody  else  that  wants 
the  hack  I  will  pay  them  J4  of  what  they  was 
going  to  charge  me  if  I  had  of  came  and  road  in 
the  hack  though  I  dont  have  to  pay  them  nothing 
because  I  am  not  going  to  ride  in  the  hack  but  I 
want  to  do  the  right  thing  and  besides  I  will  want 
a  hack  at  the  deepo  when  I  do  come  so  they  will 
get  a  peace  of  money  out  of  me  any  way  so  I 
dont  see  where  they  got  no  kick  comeing  even  if 
I  dont  give  them  a  nichol  now. 

I  will  tell  you  why  I  am  still  here  and  you  will 
see  where  I  am  trying  to  do  the  right  thing.  You 
knowed  of  coarse  that  the  White  Sox  and  the  N. 
Y.  giants  was  going  to  make  a  trip  a  round  the 
world  and  they  been  after  me  for  a  long  time  to 
go  a  long  with  them  but  I  says  No  I  would  not 
leave  Florrie  and  the  kid  because  that  would  not 
be  fare  and  besides  I  would  be  paying  rent  and 
grocerys  for  them  some  wheres  and  me  not  getting 
nothing  out  of  it  and  besides  I  would  probily  be 
spending  a  hole  lot  of  money  on  the  trip  because 
though  the  clubs  pays  all  of  our  regular  expences 
they  would  be  a  hole  lot  of  times  when  I  felt 


210  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

like  blowing  my  self  and  buying  some  thing  to 
send  home  to  the  Mrs  and  to  good  old  friends  of 
mine  like  you  and  Bertha  so  I  turned  them  down 
and  Callahan  acted  like  he  was  sore  at  me  but  I 
dont  care  nothing  for  that  because  I  got  other 
people  to  think  a  bout  and  not  Callahan  and  be- 
sides if  I  was  to  go  a  long  the  fans  in  the  towns 
where  we  play  at  would  want  to  see  me  work  and 
I  would  have  to  do  a  hole  lot  of  pitching  which 
I  would  not  be  getting  nothing  for  it  and  it  would 
not  count  in  no  standing  because  the  games  is  to 
be  just  for  fun  and  what  good  would  it  do  me 
and  besides  Florrie  says  I  was  not  under  no 
circumstance  to  go  and  of  coarse  I  would  go  if  I 
wanted  to  go  no  matter  what  ever  she  says  but 
all  and  all  I  turned  them  down  and  says  I  would 
stay  here  all  winter  or  rather  I  would  not  stay 
here  but  in  Bedford.  Then  Callahan  says  All 
right  but  you  know  before  we  start  on  the  trip 
the  giants  and  us  is  going  to  play  a  game  right 
here  in  Chi  next  Sunday  and  after  what  you  done 
in  the  city  serious  the  fans  would  be  sore  if  they 
did  not  get  no  more  chance  to  look  at  you  so  will 
you  stay  and  pitch  part  of  the  game  here  and  I 
says  I  would  think  it  over  and  I  come  home  to  the 
hotel  where  we  are  staying  at  and  asked  Florrie 
did  she  care  if  we  did  not  go  to  Bedford  for  an 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    211 

other  week  and  she  says  No  she  did  not  care  if  we 
dont  go  for  6  years  so  I  called  Callahan  up  and 
says  I  would  stay  and  he  says  Thats  the  boy  and 
now  the  fans  will  have  an  other  treat  so  you  see 
Al  he  appresiates  what  I  done  and  wants  to  give 
the  fans  fare  treatment  because  this  town  is  nuts 
over  me  after  what  I  done  to  them  Cubs  but  I 
could  do  it  just  the  same  to  the  Athaletics  or  any 
body  else  if  it  would  of  been  them  in  stead  of  the 
Cubs.  May  be  we  will  leave  here  the  A.  M.  after 
the  game  that  is  Monday  and  I  will  let  you  know 
so  as  you  can  order  an  other  hack  and  tell  Bertha 
I  hope  she  did  not  go  to  no  extra  trouble  a  bout 
getting  ready  for  us  and  did  not  order  no  spair 
ribs  and  crout  but  you  can  eat  them  up  if  she  all 
ready  got  them  and  may  be  she  can  order  some 
more  for  us  when  we  come  but  tell  her  it  dont 
make  no  diffrence  and  not  to  go  to  no  trouble  be- 
cause most  anything  she  has  is  O.  K.  for  I  and 
Florrie  accept  of  coarse  we  would  not  want  to 
make  no  meal  off  of  sardeens  or  something. 

Well  Al  I  bet  them  N.  Y.  giants  will  wish 
I  would  of  went  home  before  they  come  for  this 
here  exibishun  game  because  my  arm  feels  grate 
and  I  will  show  them  where  they  would  be  at  if 
they  had  to  play  ball  in  our  league  all  the  time 
though  I  supose  they  is  some  pitchers  in  our  league 


212  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

that  they  would  hit  good  against  them  if  they  can 
hit  at  all  but  not  me.  You  will  see  in  the  papers 
how  I  come  out  and  I  will  write  and  tell  you  a 
bout  it.  Your  pal,  JACK. 

Chicago,  ///.,  Oct.  25. 

OLD  PAL  :  I  have  not  only  got  a  little  time  but 
I  have  got  some  news  for  you  and  I  knowed  you 
would  want  to  hear  all  a  bout  it  so  I  am  writeing 
this  letter  and  then  I  am  going  to  catch  the  train. 
I  would  be  saying  good  by  to  little  Al  instead  of 
writeing  this  letter  only  Florrie  wont  let  me  wake 
him  up  and  he  is  a  sleep  but  may  be  by  the  time  I 
get  this  letter  wrote  he  will  be  a  wake  again  and 
I  can  say  good  by  to  him.  I  am  going  with  the 
White  Sox  and  giants  as  far  as  San  Francisco  or 
may  be  Van  Coover  where  they  take  the  boat  at 
but  I  am  not  going  a  round  the  world  with  them 
but  only  just  out  to  the  coast  to  help  them  out 
because  they  is  a  couple  of  men  going  to  join  them 
out  there  and  untill  them  men  join  them  they  will 
be  short  of  men  and  they  got  a  hole  lot  of  exibi- 
shun  games  to  play  before  they  get  out  there  so  I 
am  going  to  help  them  out.  It  all  come  off  in  the 
club  house  after  the  game  to-day  and  I  will  tell 
you  how  it  come  off  but  1st  I  want  to  tell  you  a 
bout  the  game  and  honest  Al  them  giants  is  the 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    213 

luckyest  team  in  the  world  and  it  is  not  no  wonder 
they  keep  wining  the  penant  in  that  league  be- 
cause a  club  that  has  got  there  luck  could  win  ball 
games  with  out  sending  no  team  on  the  field  at 
all  but  staying  down  to  the  hotel. 

They  was  a  big  crowd  out  to  the  park  so  Calla- 
han  says  to  me  I  did  not  know  if  I  was  going  to 
pitch  you  or  not  but  the  crowd  is  out  here  to  see 
you  so  I  will  have  to  let  you  work  so  I  warmed 
up  but  I  knowed  the  minute  I  throwed  the  1st  ball 
warming  up  that  I  was  not  right  and  I  says  to 
Callahan  I  did  not  feel  good  but  he  says  You 
wont  need  to  feel  good  to  beat  this  bunch  because 
they  heard  a  hole  lot  a  bout  you  and  you 
would  have  them  beat  if  you  just  throwed  your 
glove  out  there  in  the  box.  So  I  went  in  and 
tried  to  pitch  but  my  arm  was  so  lame  it  pretty 
near  killed  me  every  ball  I  throwed  and  I  bet  if 
I  was  some  other  pitchers  they  would  not  never 
of  tried  to  work  with  my  arm  so  sore  but  I  am 
not  like  some  of  them  yellow  dogs  and  quit  be- 
cause I  would  not  dissapoint  the  crowd  or  throw 
Callahan  down  when  he  wanted  me  to  pitch  and 
was  depending  on  me.  You  know  me  Al.  So  I 
went  in  there  but  I  did  not  have  nothing  and  if 
them  giants  could  of  hit  at  all  in  stead  of  like  a 
lot  of  girls  they  would  of  knock  down  the  fence 


214  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

because  I  was  not  my  self.  At  that  they  should 
not  ought  to  of  had  only  the  1  run  off  of  me  if 
Weaver  and  them  had  not  of  begin  kicking  the 
ball  a  round  like  it  was  a  foot  ball  or  something. 
Well  Al  what  with  dropping  fly  balls  and  booting 
them  a  round  and  this  in  that  the  giants  was  gave 
5  runs  in  the  1st  3  innings  and  they  should  ought 
to  of  had  just  the  1  run  or  may  be  not  that  and 
that  ball  Merkle  hit  in  to  the  seats  I  was  trying 
to  waist  it  and  a  man  that  is  a  good  hitter  would 
not  never  of  hit  at  it  and  if  I  was  right  this  here 
Merkle  could  not  foul  me  in  9  years.  When  I 
was  comeing  into  the  bench  after  the  3th  inning 
this  here  smart  alex  Mcgraw  come  passed  me  from 
the  3  base  coaching  line  and  he  says  Are  you  going 
on  the  trip  and  I  says  No  I  am  not  going  on  no 
trip  and  he  says  That  is  to  bad  because  if  you 
was  going  we  would  win  a  hole  lot  of  games  and 
I  give  him  a  hot  come  back  and  he  did  not  say 
nothing  so  I  went  in  to  the  bench  and  Callahan 
says  Them  giants  is  not  such  rotten  hitters  is  they 
and  I  says  No  they  hit  pretty  good  when  a  man 
has  got  a  sore  arm  against  them  and  he  says  Why 
did  not  you  tell  me  your  arm  was  sore  and  I  says 
I  did  not  want  to  dissapoint  no  crowd  that  come 
out  here  to  see  me  and  he  says  Well  I  guess  you 
need  not  pitch  no  more  because  if  I  left  you  in 


THE  BUSHER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    215 

there  the  crowd  might  begin  to  get  tired  of  watch- 
ing you  a  bout  10  oclock  to-night  and  I  says  What 
do  you  mean  and  he  did  not  say  nothing  more  so 
I  set  there  a  while  and  then  went  to  the  club 
house.  Well  Al  after  the  game  Callahan  come 
in  to  the  club  house  and  I  was  still  in  there  yet 
talking  to  the  trainer  and  getting  my  arm  rubbed 
and  Callahan  says  Are  you  getting  your  arm  in 
shape  for  next  year  and  I  says  No  but  it  give  me 
so  much  pane  I  could  not  stand  it  and  he  says  I 
bet  if  you  was  feeling  good  you  could  make  them 
giants  look  like  a  sucker  and  I  says  You  know  I 
could  make  them  look  like  a  sucker  and  he  says 
Well  why  dont  you  come  a  long  with  us  and  you 
will  get  an  other  chance  at  them  when  you  feel 
good  and  I  says  I  would  like  to  get  an  other 
crack  at  them  but  I  could  not  go  a  way  on  no  trip 
and  leave  the  Mrs  and  the  baby  and  then  he  says 
he  would  not  ask  me  to  make  the  hole  trip  a  round 
the  world  but  he  wisht  I  would  go  out  to  the  coast 
with  them  because  they  was  hard  up  for  pitchers 
and  he  says  Mathewson  of  the  giants  was  not 
only  going  as  far  as  the  coast  so  if  the  giants  had 
there  star  pitcher  that  far  the  White  Sox  should 
ought  to  have  theren  and  then  some  of  the  other 
boys  coaxed  me  would  I  go  so  finely  I  says  I  would 
think  it  over  and  I  went  home  and  seen  Florrie 


216  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

and  she  says  How  long  would  it  be  for  and  I 
says  a  bout  3  or  4  weeks  and  she  says  If  you  dont 
go  will  we  start  for  Bedford  right  a  way  and  I 
says  Yes  and  then  she  says  All  right  go  a  head 
and  go  but  if  they  was  any  thing  should  happen 
to  the  baby  while  I  was  gone  what  would  they 
do  if  I  was  not  a  round  to  tell  them  what  to  do 
and  I  says  Call  a  Dr.  in  but  dont  call  no  Dr.  if 
you  dont  have  to  and  besides  you  should  ought 
to  know  by  this  time  what  to  do  for  the  baby 
when  he  got  sick  and  she  says  Of  coarse  I  know 
a  little  but  not  as  much  as  you  do  because  you 
know  it  all.  Then  I  says  No  I  dont  know  it  all 
but  I  will  tell  you  some  things  before  I  go  and 
you  should  not  ought  to  have  no  trouble  so  we 
fixed  it  up  and  her  and  little  Al  is  to  stay  here  in 
the  hotel  untill  I  come  back  which  will  be  a  bout 
the  20  of  Nov.  and  then  we  will  come  down  home 
and  tell  Bertha  not  to  get  to  in  patient  and  we  will 
get  there  some  time.  It  is  going  to  cost  me  $6.00 
a  week  at  the  hotel  for  a  room  for  she  and  the 
baby  besides  there  meals  but  the  babys  meals  dont 
cost  nothing  yet  and  Florrie  should  not  ought  to 
be  very  hungry  because  we  been  liveing  good  and 
besides  she  will  get  all  she  can  eat  when  we  come 
to  Bedford  and  it  wont  cost  me  nothing  for  meals 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    217 

on  the  trip  out  to  the  coast  because  Comiskey  and 
Mcgraw  pays  for  that. 

I  have  not  even  had  no  time  to  look  up  where 
we  play  at  but  we  stop  off  at  a  hole  lot  of  places 
on  the  way  and  I  will  get  a  chance  to  make  them 
giants  look  like  a  sucker  before  I  get  threw  and 
Mcgraw  wont  be  so  sorry  I  am  not  going  to  make 
the  hole  trip.  You  will  see  by  the  papers  what 
I  done  to  them  before  we  get  threw  and  I  will 
write  as  soon  as  we  stop  some  wheres  long  enough 
so  as  I  can  write  and  now  I  am  going  to  say  good 
by  to  little  Al  if  he  is  a  wake  or  not  a  wake  and 
wake  him  up  and  say  good  by  to  him  because  even 
if  he  is  not  only  5  months  old  he  is  old  enough 
to  think  a  hole  lot  of  me  and  why  not.  I  all  so 
got  to  say  good  by  to  Florrie  and  fix  it  up  with 
the  hotel  clerk  a  bout  she  and  the  baby  staying 
here  a  while  and  catch  the  train.  You  will  hear 
from  me  soon  old  pal. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

St.  Joe,  Miss.,  Oct.  29. 

FRIEND  AL:  Well  Al  we  are  on  our  way  to 
the  coast  and  they  is  quite  a  party  of  us  though 
it  is  not  no  real  White  Sox  and  giants  at  all  but 
some  players  from  off  of  both  clubs  and  then 
some  others  that  is  from  other  clubs  a  round  the 


218  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

2  leagues  to  fill  up.  We  got  Speaker  from  the 
Boston  club  and  Crawford  from  the  Detroit  club 
and  if  we  had  them  with  us  all  the  time  Al  I 
would  not  never  loose  a  game  because  one  or  the 
other  of  them  2  is  good  for  a  couple  of  runs  every 
game  and  that  is  all  I  need  to  win  my  games  is  a 
couple  of  runs  or  only  i  run  and  I  would  win 
all  my  games  and  would  not  never  loose  a  game. 
I  did  not  pitch  to-day  and  I  guess  the  giants 
was  glad  of  it  because  no  matter  what  Mcgraw 
says  he  must  of  saw  from  watching  me  Sunday 
that  I  was  a  real  pitcher  though  my  arm  was  so 
sore  I  could  not  hardly  raze  it  over  my  sholder 
so  no  wonder  I  did  not  have  no  stuff  but  at  that 
I  could  of  beat  his  gang  with  out  no  stuff  if  I 
had  of  had  some  kind  of  decent  suport.  I  will 
pitch  against  them  may  be  to-morrow  or  may  be 
some  day  soon  and  my  arm  is  all  O.  K.  again 
now  so  I  will  show  them  up  and  make  them  wish 
Callahan  had  of  left  me  to  home.  Some  of  the 
men  has  brung  there  wife  a  long  and  besides  that 
there  is  some  other  men  and  there  wife  that  is 
not  no  ball  players  but  are  going  a  long  for  the 
trip  and  some  more  will  join  the  party  out  the 
coast  before  they  get  a  bord  the  boat  but  of 
coarse  I  and  Mathewson  will  drop  out  of  the  party 
then  because  why  should  I  or  him  go  a  round  the 


THE  BUSHER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    219 

world  and  throw  our  arms  out  pitching  games  that 
dont  count  in  no  standing  and  that  we  dont  get 
no  money  for  pitching  them  out  side  of  just  our 
bare  expences.  The  people  in  the  towns  we  played 
at  so  far  has  all  wanted  to  shake  hands  with 
Mathewson  and  I  so  I  guess  they  know  who  is 
the  real  pitchers  on  these  here  2  clubs  no  matter 
what  them  reporters  says  and  the  stars  is  all  ways 
the  men  that  the  people  wants  to  shake  there 
hands  with  and  make  friends  with  them  but  Al 
this  here  Mathewson  pitched  to-day  and  honest  Al 
I  dont  see  how  he  gets  by  and  either  the  batters 
in  the  National  league  dont  know  nothing  a  bout 
hitting  or  else  he  is  such  a  old  man  that  they  feel 
sorry  for  him  and  may  be  when  he  was  a  bout  10 
years  younger  then  he  is  may  be  then  he  had  some 
thing  and  was  a  pretty  fare  pitcher  but  all  as  he 
does  now  is  stick  the  1st  ball  right  over  with  o 
on  it  and  pray  that  they  dont  hit  it  out  of  the 
park.  If  a  pitcher  like  he  can  get  by  in  the  Na- 
tional league  and  fool  them  batters  they  is  not 
nothing  I  would  like  better  then  to  pitch  in  the 
National  league  and  I  bet  I  would  not  get  scored 
on  in  2  to  3  years.  I  heard  a  hole  lot  a  bout  this 
here  fade  a  way  that  he  is  suposed  to  pitch  and 
it  is  a  ball  that  is  throwed  out  between  2  fingers 
and  falls  in  at  a  right  hand  batter  and  they  is  not 


220  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

no  body  cant  hit  it  but  if  he  throwed  1  of  them 
things  to-day  he  done  it  while  I  was  a  sleep  and 
they  was  not  no  time  when  I  was  not  wide  a  wake 
and  looking  right  at  him  and  after  the  game  was 
over  I  says  to  him  Where  is  that  there  fade  a  way 
I  heard  so  much  a  bout  and  he  says  O  I  did  not 
have  to  use  none  of  my  regular  stuff  against  your 
club  and  I  3ays  Well  you  would  have  to  use  all 
you  got  if  I  was  working  against  you  and  he  says 
Yes  if  you  worked  like  you  done  Sunday  I  would 
have  to  do  some  pitching  or  they  would  not  never 
finish  the  game.  Then  I  says  a  bout  me  haveing 
a  sore  arm  Sunday  and  he  says  I  wisht  I  had  a 
sore  arm  like  yourn  and  a  little  sence  with  it  and 
was  your  age  and  I  would  not  never  loose  a  game 
so  you  see  Al  he  has  heard  a  bout  me  and  is  jellus 
because  he  has  not  got  my  stuff  but  they  cant 
every  body  expect  to  have  the  stuff  that  I  got  or 
J4  as  much  stuff.  This  smart  alex  Mcgraw  was 
trying  to  kid  me  to-day  and  says  Why  did  not  I 
make  friends  with  Mathewson  and  let  him  learn 
me  some  thing  a  bout  pitching  and  I  says  Mathew- 
son could  not  learn  me  nothing  and  he  says  I  guess 
thats  right  and  I  guess  they  is  not  nobody  could 
learn  you  nothing  a  bout  nothing  and  if  you  was 
to  stay  in  the  league  20  years  probily  you  would 
not  be  no  better  then  you  are  now  so  you  see  he 


THE  RUSHER  REATS  IT  HENCE    221 

had  to  add  mit  that  I  am  good  Al  even  if  he  has 
not  saw  me  work  when  my  arm  was  O.  K. 

Mcgraw  says  to  me  to-night  he  says  I  wisht  you 
was  going  all  the  way  and  I  says  Yes  you  do.  I 
says  Your  club  would  look  like  a  sucker  after  I 
had  worked  against  them  a  few  times  and  he  says 
May  be  thats  right  to  because  they  would  not 
know  how  to  hit  against  a  regular  pitcher  after 
that.  Then  he  says  Rut  I  dont  care  nothing  a 
bout  that  but  I  wisht  you  was  going  to  make  the 
hole  trip  so  as  we  could  have  a  good  time.  He 
says  We  got  Steve  Evans  and  Dutch  Schaefer 
going  a  long  and  they  is  both  of  them  funny  but 
I  like  to  be  a  round  with  boys  that  is  funny  and 
dont  know  nothing  a  bout  it.  I  says  Well  I  would 
go  a  long  only  for  my  wife  and  baby  and  he  says 
Yes  it  would  be  pretty  tough  on  your  wife  to  have 
you  a  way  that  long  but  still  and  all  think  how 
glad  she  would  be  to  see  you  when  you  come  back 
again  and  besides  them  dolls  acrost  the  ocean  will 
be  pretty  sore  at  I  and  Callahan  if  we  tell  them 
we  left  you  to  home.  I  says  Do  you  supose  the 
people  over  there  has  heard  a  bout  me  and  he 
says  Sure  because  they  have  wrote  a  lot  of  letters 
asking  me  to  be  sure  and  bring  you  and  Mathew- 
son  a  long.  Then  he  says  I  guess  Mathewson  is  not 
going  so  if  you  was  to  go  and  him  left  here  to 


222  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

home  they  would  not  be  nothing  to  it.  You  could 
have  things  all  your  own  way  and  probily  could 
marry  the  Queen  of  europe  if  you  was  not  all 
ready  married.  He  was  giveing  me  the  strate 
dope  this  time  Al  because  he  did  not  crack  a  smile 
and  I  wisht  I  could  go  a  long  but  it  would  not 
be  fare  to  Florrie  but  still  and  all  did  not  she 
leave  me  and  beat  it  for  Texas  last  winter  and 
why  should  not  I  do  the  same  thing  to  her  only  I 
am  not  that  kind  of  a  man.  You  know  me  Al. 

We  play  in  Kansas  city  to-morrow  and  may  be 
I  will  work  there  because  it  is  a  big  town  and  I 
have  got  to  close  now  and  write  to  Florrie. 

Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

A  bilene,  Texas ',  Nov.  4. 

AL:  Well  Al  I  guess  you  know  by  this  time 
that  I  have  worked  against  them  2  times  since  I 
wrote  to  you  last  time  and  I  beat  them  both  times 
and  Mcgraw  knows  now  what  kind  of  a  pitcher 
I  am  and  I  will  tell  you  how  I  know  because  after 
the  game  yesterday  he  road  down  to  the  place  we 
dressed  at  a  long  with  me  and  all  the  way  in  the 
automobile  he  was  after  me  to  say  I  would  go  all 
the  way  a  round  the  world  and  finely  it  come  out 
that  he  wants  I  should  go  a  long  and  pitch  for  his 
club  and  not  pitch  for  the  White  Sox.  He  says 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    223 

his  club  is  up  against  it  for  pitchers  because 
Mathewson  is  not  going  and  all  they  got  left  is 
a  man  named  Hern  that  is  a  young  man  and  not 
got  no  experiense  and  Wiltse  that  is  a  left  hander. 
So  he  says  I  have  talked  it  over  with  Callahan 
and  he  says  if  I  could  get  you  to  go  a  long  it  was 
all  O.  K.  with  him  and  you  could  pitch  for  us 
only  I  must  not  work  you  to  hard  because  he  is 
depending  on  you  to  win  the  penant  for  him  next 
year.  I  says  Did  not  none  of  the  other  White 
Sox  make  no  holler  because  may  be  they  might 
have  to  bat  against  me  and  he  says  Yes  Crawford 
and  Speaker  says  they  would  not  make  the  trip 
if  you  was  a  long  and  pitching  against  them  but 
Callahan  showed  them  where  it  would  be  good 
for  them  next  year  because  if  they  hit  against  you 
all  winter  the  pitchers  they  hit  against  next  year 
will  look  easy  to  them.  He  was  crazy  to  have  me 
go  a  long  on  the  hole  trip  but  of  coarse  Al  they 
is  not  no  chance  of  me  going  on  acct.  of  Florrie 
and  little  Al  but  you  see  Mcgraw  has  cut  out  his 
trying  to  kid  me  and  is  treating  me  now  like  a 
man  should  ought  to  be  treated  that  has  did  what 
I  done. 

They  was  not  no  game  here  to-day  on  acct.  of  it 
raining  and  the  people  here  was  sore  because  they 
did  not  see  no  game  but  they  all  come  a  round 


224  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

to  look  at  us  and  says  they  must  have  some  speechs 
from  the  most  prommerent  men  in  the  party  so 
I  and  Comiskey  and  Mcgraw  and  Callahan  and 
Mathewson  and  Ted  Sullivan  that  I  guess  is  put- 
ting up  the  money  for  the  trip  made  speechs  and 
they  clapped  there  hands  harder  when  I  was  make- 
ing  my  speech  then  when  any  i  of  the  others  was 
makeing  there  speech.  You  did  not  know  I  was 
a  speech  maker  did  you  Al  and  I  did  not  know 
it  neither  untill  to-day  but  I  guess  they  is  not 
nothing  I  can  do  if  I  make  up  my  mind  and  l  of 
the  boys  says  that  I  done  just  as  well  as  Dummy 
Taylor  could  of. 

I  have  not  heard  nothing  from  Florrie  but  I 
guess  may  be  she  is  to  busy  takeing  care  of  little 
Al  to  write  no  letters  and  I  am  not  worring  none 
because  she  give  me  her  word  she  would  let  me 
know  was  they  some  thing  the  matter. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

San  Dago,  Cat.,  Nov.  9. 
FRIEND-  AL  :  Al  some  times  I  wisht  I  was  not 
married  at  all  and  if  it  was  not  for  Florrie  and 
little  Al  I  would  go  a  round  the  world  on  this 
here  trip  and  I  guess  the  boys  in  Bedford  would 
not  be  jellus  if  I  was  to  go  a  round  the  world  and 
see  every  thing  they  is  to  be  saw  and  some  of  the 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    225 

boys  down  home  has  not  never  been  no  futher  a 
way  then  Terre  Haute  and  I  dont  mean  you  Al 
but  some  of  the  other  boys.  But  of  coarse  Al 
when  a  man  has  got  a  wife  and  a  baby  they  is  not 
no  chance  for  him  to  go  a  way  on  l  of  these  here 
trips  and  leave  them  a  lone  so  they  is  not  no  use 
I  should  even  think  a  bout  it  but  I  cant  help 
thinking  a  bout  it  because*the  boys  keeps  after  me 
all  the  time  to  go.  Callahan  was  talking  a  bout 
it  to  me  to-day  and  he  says  he  knowed  that  if  I 
was  to  pitch  for  the  giants  on  the  trip  his  club 
would  not  have  no  chance  of  wining  the  most  of 
the  games  on  the  trip  but  still  and  all  he  wisht  I 
would  go  a  long  because  he  was  a  scared  the  peo- 
ple over  in  Rome  and  Paris  and  Africa  and  them 
other  countrys  would  be  awful  sore  if  the  2  clubs 
come  over  there  with  out  bringing  none  of  there 
star  pitchers  along.  He  s^ays  We  goj;  Speaker 
and  Crawford  and  Doyle  and  Thorp  and  some  of 
them  other  real  stars  in  all  the  positions  accept 
pitcher  and  it  will  make  us  look  bad  if  you  and 
Mathewson  dont  neither  l  of  you  come  a  long.  I 
says  What  is  the  matter  with  Scott  and  Benz  and 
this  here  left  hander  Wiltse  and  he  says  They 
is  not  nothing  the  matter  with  none  of  them  ac- 
cept they  is  not  no  real  stars  like  you  and  Mathew- 
son and  if  we  cant  show  them  forreners  l  of  you 


226  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

2  we  will  feel  like  as  if  we  was  cheating  them. 
I  says  You  would  not  want  me  to  pitch  my  best 
against  your  club  would  you  and  he  says  O  no 
I  would  not  want  you  to  pitch  your  best  or  get 
your  self  all  wore  out  for  next  year  but  I  would 
want  you  to  let  up  enough  so  as  we  could  make 
a  run  oncet  in  a  while  so  the  games  would  not  be 
to  1  sided.  I  says  Well  they  is  not  no  use  talk- 
ing a  bout  it  because  I  could  not  leave  my  wife 
and  baby  and  he  says  Why  dont  you  write  and 
ask  your  wife  and  tell  her  how  it  is  and  can  you 
go.  I  says  No  because  she  would  make  a  big 
holler  and  besides  of  coarse  I  would  go  any  way 
if  I  wanted  to  go  with  out  no  I  yes  or  no  from  her 
only  I  am  not  the  kind  of  a  man  that  runs  off 
and  leaves  his  family  and  besides  they  is  not  no- 
body to  leave  her  with  because  her  and  her  sister 
Aliens  wife  has  had  a  quarrle.  Then  Callahan 
says  Where  is  Allen  at  now  is  he  still  in  Chi.  I 
says  I  dont  know  where  is  he  at  and  I  dont  care 
where  he  is  at  because  I  am  threw  with  him.  Then 
Callahan  says  I  asked  him  would  he  go  on  the 
trip  before  the  season  was  over  but  he  says  he 
could  not  and  if  I  knowed  where  was  he  I  would 
wire  a  telegram  to  him  and  ask  him  again.  I  says 
What  would  you  want  him  a  long  for  and  he  says 
Because  Mcgraw  is  shy  of  pitchers  and  I  says  I 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    227 

would  try  and  help  him  find  i.  I  says  Well  you 
should  ought  not  to  have  no  trouble  finding  a  man 
like  Allen  to  go  along  because  his  wife  probily 
would  be  glad  to  get  rid  of  him.  Then  Callahan 
says  Well  I  wisht  you  would  get  a  hold  of  where 
Allen  is  at  and  let  me  know  so  as  I  can  wire  him 
a  telegram.  Well  Al  I  know  where  Allen  is  at 
all  O.  K.  but  I  am  not  going  to  give  his  adress 
to  Callahan  because  Mcgraw  has  treated  me  all 
O.  K.  and  why  should  I  wish  a  man  like  Allen  on 
to  him  and  besides  I  am  not  going  to  give  Allen  no 
chance  to  go  a  round  the  world  or  no  wheres  else 
after  the  way  he  acted  a  bout  I  and  Florrie  have- 
ing  a  room  in  his  flat  and  asking  me  to  pay  for  it 
when  he  give  me  a  invatation  to  come  there  and 
stay.  Well  Al  it  is  to  late  now  to  cry  in  the  sour 
milk  but  I  wisht  I  had  not  never  saw  Florrie 
untill  next  year  and  then  I  and  her  could  get  mar- 
ried just  like  we  done  last  year  only  I  dont  know 
would  I  do  it  again  or  not  but  I  guess  I  would 
on  acct.  of  little  Al. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

San  Francisco,  CaL,  Nov.  14. 
OLD  PAL  :  Well  old  pal  what  do  you  know  a 
bout  me  being  back  here  in  San  Francisco  where 
I  give  the  fans  such  a  treat  2  years  ago  and  then. 


228  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

I  was  not  nothing  but  a  busher  and  now  I  am 
with  a  team  that  is  going  a  round  the  world  and 
are  crazy  to  have  me  go  a  long  only  I  cant  be- 
cause of  my  wife  and  baby.  Callahan  wired  a 
telegram  to  the  reporters  here  from  Los  Angeles 
telling  them  I  would  pitch  here  and  I  guess  they 
is  going  to  be  20  or  25000  out  to  the  park  and  I 
will  give  them  the  best  I  got. 

But  what  do  you  think  Florrie  has  did  Al.  Her 
and  the  Aliens  has  made  it  up  there  quarrle  and 
is  friends  again  and  Marie  told  Florrie  to  write 
and  tell  me  she  was  sorry  we  had  that  there  argu- 
ment and  let  by  gones  be  by  gones.  Well  Al  it 
is  all  O.  K.  with  me  because  I  cant  help  not  feel- 
ing sorry  for  Allen  because  I  dont  beleive  he  will 
be  in  the  league  next  year  and  I  feel  sorry  for 
Marie  to  because  it  must  be  pretty  tough  on  her 
to  see  how  well  her  sister  done  and  what  a  miss- 
take  she  made  when  she  went  and  fell  for  a  left 
hander  that  could  not  fool  a  blind  man  with  his 
curve  ball  and  if  he  was  to  hit  a  man  in  the  head 
with  his  fast  ball  they  would  think  there  nose 
iched.  In  Florries  letter  she  says  she  thinks  us 
and  the  Aliens  could  find  an  other  flat  like  the  1 
we  had  last  winter  and  all  live  in  it  to  gether  in 
stead  of  going  to  Bedford  but  I  have  wrote  to 
her  before  I  started  writeing  this  letter  all  ready 


THE  BUSHER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    229 

and  told  her  that  her  and  I  is  going  to  Bedford 
and  the  Aliens  can  go  where  they  feel  like  and 
they  can  go  and  stay  on  a  boat  on  Michigan  lake 
all  winter  if  they  want  to  but  I  and  Florrie  is 
comeing  to  Bedford.  Down  to  the  bottom  of  her 
letter  she  says  Allen  wants  to  know  if  Callahan 
or  Mcgraw  is  shy  of  pitchers  and  may  be  he  would 
change  his  mind  and  go  a  long  on  the  trip.  Well 
Al  I  did  not  ask  either  Callahan  nor  Mcgraw 
nothing  a  bout  it  because  I  knowed  they  was  look- 
ing for  a  star  and  not  for  no  left  hander  that 
could  not  brake  a  pane  of  glass  with  his  fast  1  so 
I  wrote  and  told  Florrie  to  tell  Allen  they  was  all 
filled  up  and  would  not  have  no  room  for  no  more 
men. 

It  is  pretty  near  time  to  go  out  to  the  ball  park 
and  I  wisht  you  could  be  here  Al  and  hear  them 
San  Francisco  fans  go  crazy  when  they  hear  my 
name  anounced  to  pitch.  I  bet  they  wish  they 
had  of  had  me  here  this  last  year. 

Yours  truly,  JACK. 

Medford,  Organ,  Nov.  16. 
FRIEND  AL:    Well  Al  you  know  by  this  time 
that  I  did  not  pitch  the  hole  game  in  San  Fran- 
cisco but  I  was  not  tooken  out  because  they  was 
hitting  me  Al  but  because  my  arm  went  back  on 


230  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

me  all  of  a  sudden  and  it  was  the  change  in  the 
clime  it  that  done  it  to  me  and  they  could  not  hire 
me  to  try  and  pitch  another  game  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. They  was  the  biggest  crowd  there  that  I 
ever  seen  in  San  Francisco  and  I  guess  they  must 
of  been  40000  people  there  and  I  wisht  you  could 
of  heard  them  yell  when  my  name  was  anounced 
to  pitch.  But  Al  I  would  not  never  of  went  in 
there  but  for  the  crowd.  My  arm  felt  like  a  wet 
rag  or  some  thing  and  I  knowed  I  would  not  have 
nothing  and  besides  the  people  was  packed  in  a 
round  the  field  and  they  had  to  have  ground  rules 
so  when  a  man  hit  a  pop  fly  it  went  in  to  the 
crowd  some  wheres  and  was  a  2  bagger  and  all 
them  giants  could  do  against  me  was  pop  my  fast 
ball  up  in  the  air  and  then  the  wind  took  a  hold 
of  it  and  dropped  it  in  to  the  crowd  the  lucky 
stiffs.  Doyle  hit  3  of  them  pop  ups  in  to  the 
crowd  so  when  you  see  them  3  2  base  hits  oposit 
his  name  in  the  score  you  will  know  they  was  not 
no  real  2  base  hits  and  the  infielders  would  of 
catched  them  had  it  not  of  been  for  the  wind. 
This  here  Doyle  takes  a  awful  wallop  at  a  ball 
but  if  I  was  right  and  he  swang  at  a  ball  the  way 
he  done  in  San  Francisco  the  catcher  would  all 
ready  be  throwing  me  back  the  ball  a  bout  the 
time  this  here  Doyle  was  swinging  at  it.  I  can. 


THE  BUSHER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    231 

make  him  look  like  a  sucker  and  I  done  it  both  in 
Kansas  city  and  Bonham  and  if  he  will  get  up 
there  and  bat  against  me  when  I  feel  good  and 
when  they  is  not  no  wind  blowing  I  will  bet  him 
a  $25.00  suit  of  cloths  that  he  cant  foul  i  off  of 
me.  Well  when  Callahan  seen  how  bad  my  arm 
was  he  says  I  guess  I  should  ought  to  take  you  out 
and  not  run  no  chance  of  you  getting  killed  in 
there  and  so  I  quit  and  Faber  went  in  to  finnish 
it  up  because  it  dont  make  no  diffrence  if  he  hurts 
his  arm  or  dont.  But  I  guess  Mcgraw  knowed 
my  arm  was  sore  to  because  he  did  not  try  and  kid 
me  like  he  done  that  day  in  Chi  because  he  has 
saw  enough  of  me  since  then  to  know  I  can  make 
his  club  look  rotten  when  I  am  O.K.  and  my  arm 
is  good.  On  the  train  that  night  he  come  up  and 
says  to  me  Well  Jack  we  catched  you  off  your 
strid  to-day  or  you  would  of  gave  us  a  beating 
and  then  he  says  What  your  arm  needs  is  more 
work  and  you  should  ought  to  make  the  hole  trip 
with  us  and  then  you  would  be  in  fine  shape  for 
next  year  but  I  says  You  cant  get  me  to  make  no 
trip  so  you  might  is  well  not  do  no  more  talking 
a  bout  it  and  then  he  says  Well  I  am  sorry  and 
the  girls  over  to  Paris  will  be  sorry  to  but  I  guess 
he  was  just  jokeing  a  bout  the  last  part  of  it. 
Well  Al  we  go  to  i  more  town  in  Organ  and 


232  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

then  to  Washington  but  of  coarse  it  is  not  the  same 
Washington  we  play  at  in  the  summer  but  this 
is  the  state  Washington  and  have  not  got  no  big 
league  club  and  the  boys  gets  there  boat  in  4  more 
days  and  I  will  quit  them  and  then  I  will  come 
strate  back  to  Chi  and  from  there  to  Bedford. 
Your  pal,  JACK. 

Portland,  Organ,  Nov.  77. 

FRIEND  AL:  I  have  just  wrote  a  long  letter 
to  Florrie  but  I  feel  like  as  if  I  should  ought  to 
write  to  you  because  I  wont  have  no  more  chance 
for  a  long  while  that  is  I  wont  have  no  more 
chance  to  male  a  letter  because  I  will  be  on  the 
pacific  Ocean  and  un  less  we  should  run  passed  a 
boat  that  was  comeing  the  other  way  they  would 
not  be  no  chance  of  getting  no  letter  maled.  Old 
pal  I  am  going  to  make  the  hole  trip  clear  a  round 
the  world  and  back  and  so  I  wont  see  you  this 
winter  after  all  but  when  I  do  see  you  Al  I  will 
have  a  lot  to  tell  you  a  bout  my  trip  and  besides 
I  will  write  you  a  letter  a  bout  it  from  every  place 
we  head  in  at. 

I  guess  you  will  be  surprised  a  bout  me  change- 
ing  my  mind  and  makeing  the  hole  trip  but  they 
was  not  no  way  for  me  to  get  out  of  it  and  I  will 
tell  you  how  it  all  come  off.  While  we  was  still 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    233 

in  that  there  Medford  yesterday  Mcgraw  and  Cal- 
lahan  come  up  to  me  and  says  was  they  not  no 
chance  of  me  changeing  my  mind  a  bout  makeing 
the  hole  trip.  I  says  No  they  was  not.  Then 
Callahan  says  Well  I  dont  know  what  we  are 
going  to  do  then  and  I  says  Why  and  he  says 
Comiskey  just  got  a  letter  from  president  Wilson 
the  President  of  the  united  states  and  in  the  letter 
president  Wilson  says  he  had  got  an  other  letter 
from  the  king  of  Japan  who  says  that  they  would 
not  stand  for  the  White  Sox  and  giants  comeing 
to  Japan  un  less  they  brought  all  there  stars  a  long 
and  president  Wilson  says  they  would  have  to 
take  there  stars  a  long  because  he  was  a  scared 
if  they  did  not  take  there  stars  a  long  Japan  would 
get  mad  at  the  united  states  and  start  a  war  and 
then  where  would  we  be  at.  So  Comiskey  wired 
a  telegram  to  president  Wilson  and  says  Mathew- 
son  could  not  make  the  trip  because  he  was  so 
old  but  would  everything  be  all  O.K.  if  I  was  to 
go  a  long  and  president  Wilson  wired  a  telegram 
back  and  says  Yes  he  had  been  talking  to  the 
priest  from  Japan  and  he  says  Yes  it  would  be 
all  O.K.  I  asked  them  would  they  show  me  the 
letter  from  president  Wilson  because  I  thought 
may  be  they  might  be  kiding  me  and  they  says 
they  could  not  show  me  no  letter  because  when 


234  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

Comiskey  got  the  letter  he  got  so  mad  that  he  tore 
it  up.  Well  Al  I  finely  says  I  did  not  want  to 
brake  up  there  trip  but  I  knowed  Florrie  would 
not  stand  for  letting  me  go  so  Callahan  says  All 
right  I  will  wire  a  telegram  to  a  friend  of  mine 
in  Chi  and  have  him  get  a  hold  of  Allen  and  send 
him  out  here  and  we  will  take  him  a  long  and  I 
says  It  is  to  late  for  Allen  to  get  here  in  time  and 
Mcgraw  says  No  they  was  a  train  that  only  took 
2  days  from  Chi  to  where  ever  it  was  the  boat  is 
going  to  sale  from  because  the  train  come  a  round 
threw  canada  and  it  was  down  hill  all  the  way. 
Then  I  says  Well  if  you  will  wire  a  telegram  to 
my  wife  and  fix  things  up  with  her  I  will  go  a 
long  with  you  but  if  she  is  going  to  make  a  holler 
it  is  all  off.  So  we  all  3  went  to  the  telegram 
office  to  gether  and  we  wired  Florrie  a  telegram 
that  must  of  cost  $2.00  but  Callahan  and  Mcgraw 
payed  for  it  out  of  there  own  pocket  and  then  we 
waited  a  round  a  long  time  and  the  anser  come 
back  and  the  anser  was  longer  than  the  telegram 
we  wired  and  it  says  it  would  not  make  no  diff- 
rence  to  her  but  she  did  not  know  if  the  baby 
would  make  a  holler  but  he  was  hollering  most 
of  the  time  any  way  so  that  would  not  make  no 
diffrence  but  if  she  let  me  go  it  was  on  condishon 
that  her  and  the  Aliens  could  get  a  flat  to  gether 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    235 

and  stay  in  Chi  all  winter  and  not  go  to  no  Bed- 
ford and  hire  a  nurse  to  take  care  of  the  baby 
and  if  I  would  send  her  a  check  for  the  money  I 
had  in  the  bank  so  as  she  could  put  it  in  her  name 
and  draw  it  out  when  she  need  it.  Well  I  says 
at  1st  I  would  not  stand  for  nothing  like  that  but 
Callahan  and  Mcgraw  showed  me  where  I  was 
makeing  a  mistake  not  going  when  I  could  see  all 
them  diffrent  countrys  and  tell  Florrie  all  a  bout 
the  trip  when  I  come  back  and  then  in  a  year  or 
2  when  the  baby  was  a  little  older  I  could  make 
an  other  trip  and  take  little  Al  and  Florrie  a  long 
so  I  finely  says  O.K.  I  would  go  and  we  wires 
still  an  other  telegram  to  Florrie  and  told  her 
O.K.  and  then  I  set  down  and  wrote  her  a  check 
for  */2  the  money  I  got  in  the  bank  and  I  got 
$500.00  all  together  there  so  I  wrote  the  check 
for  y2  of  that  or  $250.00  and  maled  it  to  her 
and  if  she  cant  get  a  long  on  that  she  would  be 
a  awfull  spendrift  because  I  am  not  only  going 
to  be  a  way  untill  March.  You  should  ought  to 
of  heard  the  boys  cheer  when  Callahan  tells  them 
I  am  going  to  make  the  hole  trip  but  when  he  tells 
them  I  am  going  to  pitch  for  the  giants  and  not 
for  the  White  Sox  I  bet  Crawford  and  Speaker 
and  them  wisht  I  was  going  to  stay  to  home  but 


236  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

it  is  just  like  Callahan  says  if  they  bat  against  me 
all  winter  the  pitchers  they  bat  against  next  sea- 
son will  look  easy  to  them  and  you  wont  be  sup- 
prised  Al  if  Crawford  and  Speaker  hits  a  bout  500 
next  year  and  if  they  hit  good  you  will  know 
why  it  is.  Steve  Evans  asked  me  was  I  all  fixed 
up  with  cloths  and  I  says  No  but  I  was  going 
out  and  buy  some  cloths  includeing  a  full  dress 
suit  of  evening  cloths  and  he  says  You  dont  need 
no  full  dress  suit  of  evening  cloths  because  you 
look  funny  enough  with  out  them.  This  Evans 
is  a  great  kidder  Al  and  no  body  never  gets  sore 
at  the  stuff  he  pulls  some  thing  like  Kid  Gleason. 
I  wisht  Kid  Gleason  was  going  on  the  trip  Al  but 
I  will  tell  him  all  a  bout  it  when  I  come  back. 

Well  Al  old  pal  I  wisht  you  was  going  a  long 
to  and  I  bet  we  could  have  the  time  of  our  life 
but  I  will  write  to  you  right  a  long  Al  and  I  will 
send  Bertha  some  post  cards  from  the  diffrent 
places  we  head  in  at.  I  will  try  and  write  you 
a  letter  on  the  boat  and  male  it  as  soon  as  we  get 
to  the  1st  station  which  is  either  Japan  or  Yoko- 
hama I  forgot  which.  Good  by  Al  and  say  good 
by  to  Bertha  for  me  and  tell  her  how  sorry  I  and 
Florrie  is  that  we  cant  come  to  Bedford  this  win- 
ter but  we  will  spend  all  the  rest  of  the  winters 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    237 

there  and  her  and  Florrie  will  have  a  plenty  of 
time  to  get  acquainted.    Good  by  old  pal. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Seattle,  Wash.,  Nov.  18. 

AL  :  Well  Al  it  is  all  off  and  I  am  not  going 
on  no  trip  a  round  the  world  and  back  and  I  been 
looking  for  Callahan  or  Mcgraw  for  the  last  y* 
hour  to  tell  them  I  have  changed  my  mind  and 
am  not  going  to  make  no  trip  because  it  would 
not  be  fare  to  Florrie  and  besides  that  I  think  I 
should  ought  to  stay  home  and  take  care  of  little 
Al  and  not  leave  him  to  be  tooken  care  of  by  no 
train  nurse  because  how  do  I  know  what  would 
she  do  to  him  and  I  am  not  going  to  tell  Florrie 
nothing  a  bout  it  but  I  am  going  to  take  the  train 
to-morrow  night  right  back  to  Chi  and  supprise 
her  when  I  get  there  and  I  bet  both  her  and  little 
Al  will  be  tickled  to  death  to  see  me.  I  supose 
Mcgraw  and  Callahan  will  be  sore  at  me  for  a 
while  but  when  I  tell  them  I  want  to  do  the  right 
thing  and  not  give  my  famly  no  raw  deal  I  guess 
they  will  see  where  I  am  right. 

We  was  to  play  2  games  here  and  was  to  play 
1  of  them  in  Tacoma  and  the  other  here  but  it 
rained  and  so  we  did  not  play  neither  1  and  the 
people  was  pretty  mad  a  bout  it  because  I  was  an- 


238  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

nounced  to  pitch  and  they  figured  probily  this 
would  be  there  only  chance  to  see  me  in  axion  and 
they  made  a  awful  holler  but  Comiskey  says  No 
they  would  not  be  no  game  because  the  field 
neither  here  or  in  Tacoma  was  in  no  shape  for 
a  game  and  he  would  not  take  no  chance  of  me 
pitching  and  may  be  slipping  in  the  mud  and 
straneing  myself  and  then  where  would  the  White 
Sox  be  at  next  season.  So  we  been  laying  a  round 
all  the  P.M.  and  I  and  Dutch  Schaefer  had  a 
long  talk  to  gether  while  some  of  the  rest  of  the 
boys  was  out  buying  some  cloths  to  take  on  the 
trip  and  Al  I  bought  a  full  dress  suit  of  evening 
cloths  at  Portland  yesterday  and  now  I  owe  Cal- 
lahan  the  money  for  them  and  am  not  going  on 
no  trip  so  probily  I  wont  never  get  to  ware  them 
and  it  is  just  $45.00  throwed  a  way  but  I  would 
rather  throw  $45.00  a  way  then  go  on  a  trip  a 
round  the  world  and  leave  my  f  amly  all  winter. 

Well  Al  I  and  Schaefer  was  talking  to  gether 
and  he  says  Well  may  be  this  is  the  last  time  we 
will  ever  see  the  good  old  US  and  I  says  What 
do  you  mean  and  he  says  People  that  gos  acrost 
the  pacific  Ocean  most  generally  all  ways  has  there 
ship  recked  and  then  they  is  not  no  more  never 
heard  from  them.  Then  he  asked  me  was  I  a  good 
swimmer  and  I  says  Yes  I  had  swam  a  good  deal 


THE  RUSHER  REATS  IT  HENCE    239 

in  the  river  and  he  says  Yes  you  have  swam  in 
the  river  but  that  is  not  nothing  like  swimming 
in  the  pacific  Ocean  because  when  you  swim  in 
the  pacific  Ocean  you  cant  move  your  feet  because 
if  you  move  your  feet  the  sharks  comes  up  to  the 
top  of  the  water  and  bites  at  them  and  even  if 
they  did  not  bite  your  feet  clean  off  there  bite 
is  poison  and  gives  you  the  hiderofobeya  and  when 
you  get  that  you  start  barking  like  a  dog  and  the 
water  runs  in  to  your  mouth  and  chokes  you  to 
death.  Then  he  says  Of  coarse  if  you  can  swim 
with  out  useing  your  feet  you  are  all  O.K.  but 
they  is  very  few  can  do  that  and  especially  in  the 
pacific  Ocean  because  they  got  to  keep  useing  there 
hands  all  the  time  to  scare  the  sord  fish  a  way  so 
when  you  dont  dare  use  your  feet  and  your  hands 
is  busy  you  got  nothing  left  to  swim  with  but  your 
stumach  mussles.  Then  he  says  You  should  ought 
to  get  a  long  all  O.K.  because  your  stumach  mus- 
sles should  ought  to  be  strong  from  the  exercise 
they  get  so  I  guess  they  is  not  no  danger  from 
a  man  like  you  but  men  like  Wiltse  and  Mike 
Donlin  that  is  not  hog  fat  like  you  has  not  got 
no  chance.  Then  he  says  Of  coarse  they  have 
been  times  when  the  boats  got  acrost  all  O.K.  and 
only  a  few  lives  lost  but  it  dont  offten  happen 
and  the  time  the  old  Minneapolis  club  made  the 


240  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

trip  the  boat  went  down  and  the  only  thing  that 
was  saved  was  the  catchers  protector  that  was 
full  of  air  and  could  not  do  nothing  else  but 
flote.  Then  he  says  May  be  you  would  flote  to 
if  you  did  not  say  nothing  for  a  few  days. 

I  asked  him  how  far  would  a  man  got  to  swim 
if  some  thing  went  wrong  with  the  boat  and  he 
says  O  not  far  because  they  is  a  hole  lot  of  ilands 
a  long  the  way  that  a  man  could  swim  to  but  it 
would  not  do  a  man  no  good  to  swim  to  these  here 
ilands  because  they  dont  have  nothing  to  eat  on 
them  and  a  man  would  probily  starve  to  death 
un  less  he  happened  to  swim  to  the  sandwich 
ilands.  Then  he  says  But  by  the  time  you  been 
out  on  the  pacific  Ocean  a  few  months  you  wont 
care  if  you  get  any  thing  to  eat  or  not.  I  says 
Why  not  and  he  says  the  pacific  Ocean  is  so  ruff 
that  not  nothing  can  set  still  not  even  the  stuff 
you  eat.  I  asked  him  how  long  did  it  take  to 
make  the  trip  acrost  if  they  was  not  no  ship  reck 
and  he  says  they  should  ought  to  get  acrost  a 
long  in  febuery  if  the  weather  was  good.  I  says 
Well  if  we  dont  get  there  until  febuery  we  wont 
have  no  time  to  train  for  next  season  and  he  says 
You  wont  need  to  do  no  training  because  this  trip 
will  take  all  the  weight  off  of  you  and  every  thing 
else  you  got.  Then  he  says  But  you  should  not 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE     241 

ought  to  be  scared  of  getting  sea  sick  because  they 
is  l  way  you  can  get  a  way  from  it  and  that  is 
to  not  eat  nothing  at  all  while  you  are  on  the 
boat  and  they  tell  me  you  dont  eat  hardly  nothing 
any  way  so  you  wont  miss  it.  Then  he  says  Of 
coarse  if  we  should  have  good  luck  and  not  get  in 
to  no  ship  reck  and  not  get  shot  by  l  of  them 
war  ships  we  will  have  a  grate  time  when  we  get 
acrost  because  all  the  girls  in  europe  and  them 
places  is  nuts  over  ball  players  and  especially  stars. 
I  asked  what  did  he  mean  saying  we  might  get 
shot  by  l  of  them  war  ships  and  he  says  we  would 
have  to  pass  by  Swittserland  and  the  Swittserland 
war  ships  was  all  the  time  shooting  all  over  the 
ocean  and  of  coarse  they  was  not  trying  to  hit  no 
body  but  they  was  as  wild  as  most  of  them  left 
handers  and  how  could  you  tell  what  was  they 
going  to  do  next. 

Well  Al  after  I  got  threw  talking  to  Schaefer 
I  run  in  to  Jack  Sheridan  the  umpire  and  I  says 
I  did  not  think  I  would  go  on  no  trip  and  I  told 
him  some  of  the  things  Schaefer  was  telling  me 
and  Sheridan  says  Schaefer  was  kidding  me  and 
they  was  not  no  danger  at  all  and  of  coarse  Al  I 
did  not  believe  y<2  of  what  Schaefer  was  telling 
me  and  that  has  not  got  nothing  to  do  with  me 
changeing  my  mind  but  I  don't  think  it  is  not 


242  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

hardly  fare  for  me  to  go  a  way  on  a  trip  like 
that  and  leave  Florrie  and  the  baby  and  suppose 
some  of  them  things  really  did  happen  like  Schae- 
fer  said  though  of  coarse  he  was  kidding  me  but 
if  1  of  them  was  to  happen  they  would  not  be  no 
body  left  to  take  care  of  Florrie  and  little  Al 
and  I  got  a  $1000.00  insurence  policy  but  how 
do  I  know  after  I  am  dead  if  the  insurence  co. 
comes  acrost  and  gives  my  f amly  the  money. 

Well  Al  I  will  male  this  letter  and  then  try 
again  and  find  Mcgraw  and  Callahan  and  then 
I  will  look  up  a  time  table  and  see  what  train 
can  I  get  to  Chi.  I  dont  know  yet  when  I  will 
be  in  Bedford  and  may  be  Florrie  has  hired  a  flat 
all  ready  but  the  Aliens  can  live  in  it  by  them 
self  and  if  Allen  says  any  thing  a  bout  I  paying 
for  T/2  of  the  rent  I  will  bust  his  jaw. 

Your  pal,  JACK. 

Victoria,  Can.,  Nov.  19. 

DEAR  OLD  AL:  Well  old  pal  the  boat  gos 
to-night  I  am  going  a  long  and  I  would  not  be 
takeing  no  time  to  write  this  letter  only  I  wrote 
to  you  yesterday  and  says  I  was  not  going  and  you 
probily  would  be  expecting  to  see  me  blow  in  to 
Bedford  in  a  few  days  and  besides  Al  I  got  a  hole 
lot  of  things  to  ask  you  to  do  for  me  if  any  thing 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    243 

happens  and  I  want  to  tell  you  how  it  come  a  bout 
that  I  changed  my  mind  and  am  going  on  the 
trip.  I  am  glad  now  that  I  did  not  write  Florrie 
no  letter  yesterday  and  tell  her  I  was  not  going 
because  now  I  would  have  to  write  her  an  other 
letter  and  tell  her  I  was  going  and  she  would  be 
expecting  to  see  me  the  day  after  she  got  the  1st 
letter  and  in  stead  of  seeing  me  she  would  get 
this  2nd.  letter  and  not  me  at  all.  I  have  all  ready 
wrote  her  a  good  by  letter  to-day  though  and 
while  I  was  writeing  it  Al  I  all  most  broke  down 
and  cried  and  espesially  when  I  thought  a  bout 
leaveing  little  Al  so  long  and  may  be  when  I  see 
him  again  he  wont  be  no  baby  no  more  or  may  be 
some  thing  will  of  happened  to  him  or  that  train 
nurse  did  some  thing  to  him  or  may  be  I  wont 
never  see  him  again  no  more  because  it  is  pretty 
near  a  cinch  that  some  thing  will  either  happen  to 
I  or  him.  I  would  give  all  most  any  thing  I  got 
Al  to  be  back  in  Chi  with  little  Al  and  Florrie 
and  I  wisht  she  had  not  of  never  wired  that  tele- 
gram telling  me  I  could  make  the  trip  and  if  some 
thing  happens  to  me  think  how  she  will  feel  when 
ever  she  thinks  a  bout  wireing  me  that  telegram 
and  she  will  feel  all  most  like  as  if  she  was  a  mur- 
der. 

Well  Al  after  I  had  wrote  you  that  letter  yes- 


244  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

terday  I  found  Callahan  and  Mcgraw  and  I  tell 
them  I  have  changed  my  mind  and  am  not  going 
on  no  trip.  Callahan  says  Whats  the  matter  and 
I  says  I  dont  think  it  would  be  fare  to  my  wife 
and  baby  and  Callahan  says  Your  wife  says  it 
would  be  all  O.K.  because  I  seen  the  telegram 
my  self.  I  says  Yes  but  she  dont  know  how  dan- 
gerus  the  trip  is  and  he  says  Whos  been  kiding 
you  and  I  says  They  has  not  no  body  been  kiding 
me.  I  says  Dutch  Schaefer  told  me  a  hole  lot  of 
stuff  but  I  did  not  believe  none  of  it  and  that  has 
not  got  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I  says  I  am  not  a 
scared  of  nothing  but  supose  some  thing  should 
happen  and  then  where  would  my  wife  and  my 
baby  be  at.  Then  Callahan  says  Schaefer  has 
been  giveing  you  a  lot  of  hot  air  and  they  is  not 
no  more  danger  on  this  trip  then  they  is  in  bed. 
You  been  in  a  hole  lot  more  danger  when  you 
was  pitching  some  of  them  days  when  you  had  a 
sore  arm  and  you  would  be  takeing  more  chances 
of  getting  killed  in  Chi  by  i  of  them  taxi  cabs 
or  the  dog  catcher  then  on  the  Ocean.  This  here 
boat  we  are  going  on  is  the  Umpires  of  Japan 
and  it  has  went  acrost  the  Ocean  a  million  times 
with  out  nothing  happening  and  they  could  not 
nothing  happen  to  a  boat  that  the  N.  Y.  giants 
was  rideing  on  because  they  is  to  lucky.  Then  I 


THE  BUSKER  BEATS  IT  HENCE    245 

says  Well  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  not  go  on 
no  trip  and  he  says  All  right  then  I  guess  we  might 
is  well  call  the  tnp  off  and  I  says  Why  and  he 
says  You  know  what  president  Wilson  says  a  bout 
Japan  and  they  wont  stand  for  us  comeing  over 
there  with  out  you  a  long  and  then  Mcgraw  says 
Yes  it  looks  like  as  if  the  trip  was  off  because 
we  dont  want  to  take  no  chance  of  starting  no 
war  between  Japan  and  the  united  states.  Then 
Callahan  says  You  will  be  in  fine  with  Comiskey 
if  he  has  to  call  the  trip  off  because  you  are  a 
scared  of  getting  hit  by  a  fish.  Well  Al  we  talked 
and  argude  for  a  hour  or  a  hour  and  Y-Z  and  some 
of  the  rest  of  the  boys  come  a  round  and  took  Cal- 
lahan and  Mcgraw  side  and  finely  Callahan  says 
it  looked  like  as  if  they  would  have  to  posepone 
the  trip  a  few  days  untill  he  could  get  a  hold  of 
Allen  or  some  body  and  get  them  to  take  my  place 
so  finely  I  says  I  would  go  because  I  would  not 
want  to  brake  up  no  trip  after  they  had  made  all 
there  plans  and  some  of  the  players  wifes  was  all 
ready  to  go  and  would  be  dissapointed  if  they  was 
not  no  trip.  So  Mcgraw  and  Callahan  says  Thats 
the  way  to  talk  and  so  I  am  going  Al  and  we  are 
leaveing  to-night  and  may  be  this  is  the  last  letter 
you  will  ever  get  from  me  but  if  they  does  not 
nothing  happen  Al  I  will  write  to  you  a  lot  of 


246  YOU  KNOW  ME  AL 

letters  and  tell  you  all  a  bout  the  trip  but  you 
must  not  be  looking  for  no  more  letters  for  a  while 
untill  we  get  to  Japan  where  I  can  male  a  letter 
and  may  be  its  likely  as  not  we  wont  never  get 
to  Japan. 

Here  is  the  things  I  want  to  ask  you  to  try 
and  do  Al  and  I  am  not  asking  you  to  do  nothing 
if  we  get  threw  the  trip  all  right  but  if  some  thing 
happens  and  I  should  be  drowned  here  is  what  I 
am  asking  you  to  do  for  me  and  that  is  to  see  that 
the  insurence  co.  dont  skin  Florrie  out  of  that 
$1000.00  policy  and  see  that  she  all  so  gets  that 
other  $250.00  out  of  the  bank  and  find  her  some 
place  down  in  Bedford  to  live  if  she  is  willing  to 
live  down  there  because  she  can  live  there  a  hole 
lot  cheaper  then  she  can  live  in  Chi  and  besides 
I  know  Bertha  would  treat  her  right  and  help 
her  out  all  she  could.  All  so  Al  I  want  you  and 
Bertha  to  help  take  care  of  little  Al  untill  he  grows 
up  big  enough  to  take  care  of  him  self  and  if  he 
looks  like  as  if  he  was  going  to  be  left  handed 
dont  let  him  Al  but  make  him  use  his  right  hand 
for  every  thing.  Well  Al  they  is  1  good  thing 
and  that  is  if  I  get  drowned  Florrie  wont  have  to 
buy  no  lot  in  no  cemetary  and  hire  no  herse. 

Well  Al  old  pal  you  all  ways  been  a  good  friend 
of  mine  and  I  all  ways  tried  to  be  a  good  friend 


THE  RUSHER  REATS  IT  HENCE     247 

of  yourn  and  if  they  was  ever  any  thing  I  done 
to  you  that  was  not  O.K.  remember  by  gones  is 
by  gones.  I  want  you  to  all  ways  think  of  me 
as  your  best  old  pal.  Good  by  old  pal. 

Your  old  pal,  JACK. 

P.S.  Al  if  they  should  not  nothing  happen 
and  if  we  was  to  get  acrost  the  Ocean  all  O.K. 
I  am  going  to  ask  Mcgraw  to  let  me  work  the  1st 
game  against  the  White  Sox  in  Japan  because  I 
should  certainly  ought  to  be  right  after  giveing 
my  arm  a  rest  and  not  doing  nothing  at  all  on  the 
trip  acrost  and  I  bet  if  Mcgraw  lets  me  work 
Crawford  and  Speaker  will  wisht  the  boat  had  of 
sank.  You  know  me  Al. 


